Dhaka's dying canals
Given the importance of canals to a city's infrastructure, it is beyond comprehension that Dhaka's canals are all but destroyed. One example makes the situation of the canals today very clear: that of the Baunia Canal. Once called Kahor Doriya, literally meaning 'huge waterway', the canal is said to have been as wide as a river. Today, illegal encroachments have shrunk it from its former glory.
Encroachment is just one side of the problem. Mismanagement and lack of maintenance by the authorities and unchecked dumping of solid waste by residents have all added to issue. A recent report in this paper show that of the 50 running canals in the 70s and 80s, almost half have disappeared.
It is also worthwhile to note that Wasa has the mandate to preserve the canals, and despite efforts on paper in the last 20 years, there has not been any progress. Sludge from factories, tannery waste, and dumping of household waste has only made the situation worse over the decade. On top of that, residents say that waste is not collected regularly from some areas, and cleaning efforts are only at the surface level.
It is imperative to realise the importance of canals in Dhaka lie beyond the scenic. The Wasa and the two city corporations must take immediate steps to recover the 26 canals that they claim to be recoverable. The solution lies in maintenance and in checking illegal encroachment and dumping of waste, and these need to be checked before the all the city's canals breathe their last.
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