Ninth Report on Dhaka Canals: Developers gobbling up canals

Ram Mohon Sarkar, a resident of Gozaria in Rupganj, has been raising cattle for the last five years.

Even five years back, the 65-year-old used to cultivate rice on his 20 bighas of land, but not anymore since the land is now being used as a housing project.

At first he did not want to sell his inherited land to the real estate developer, but eventually he was forced to since the developer filled his land with sand and he could not cultivate any longer.

Mohon said he got around Tk 23 lakh per bigha, which was not as per his desire and most importantly he lost his land and source of income.

“I used to get 300 to 400 maunds of rice from the land every season,” he said, adding, “Now I sell around five kg of milk from the cattle everyday to run our family.

“Once we had our land and we were well-off,” said Subir Sarkar, another resident of the area.

He said many also used to catch fish in abundance from the Balu river and the adjoining canals were linked with the river and other water bodies.

Now the amount of fish is getting very low due to filling up of the marshy lands and canals by different developer companies and the pollution due to the industrial waste.

The Gozaria canal was filled up by a housing company for their project. But they excavated another canal named Nawra Khal beside the project, he said.

Around 12 canals, which had a link with the Balu river was filled up at Bhatara, Beraid, Kathaldia, Satarkul, Joar Shahara and some other unions by around 10 companies at different times at the eastern part of the capital, said residents of the areas.

The locals of Beraid said the developers have kept alive some canals like Rashidkhali to carry sands for their housing projects.

Due to rampant filling of water bodies for housing projects, especially at the eastern part, Dhaka is not only losing water bodies, the canals of the areas are also dying.

According to Tanvir Hossain Shuvo, a lecturer of department of urban and regional planning of Buet, trend of losing wetland was, on an average, 5,342.25 acres and 5,328.8 acres per year within and immediate outside the Dhaka Metropolitan Development Plan (DMDP) area respectively.

The academic survey, using satellite image and remote sensing technology, was carried out from 1989 to 2010 in DMDP and 10km buffer around its boundary that occupies 2,020 sq km, Tanvir said.

During a visit at Beraid it was found that several canals including Rashidkhali, Nawar and Bhagnir Khal were still linked with the Balu river, and boats were plying the canals on a regular basis.

“The Gozaria canal started from Balu and was connected to the Shitalakkhya river before it was filled up by a housing project,” said Gozaria resident Subir. He said they used to go anywhere from Gozaria by boat through the connecting canals.

Though Rashidkhali Khal is still alive, around four canals on its north side were filled up to make way for a housing project, said another resident of Beraid.

Mohammad Jamal, a resident of Kamshet of Rupganj, said the Nawra canal had two parts originating from Balu near Beraid. Of them, one is now blocked at Nawra because of a housing project in Rupganj. The other portion is still linked with the Shitalakkhya river.

“We used to go to Nurerchala and Bhatara through the Gozaria canal even one decade back,” he said.

Jamal said the canal is still being used to go to different villages like Bahila, Baruna, Harina, Kamshet, Nagorpar through the Balu river. But it is being shrunk due to another housing project.

Ainul Haque, a resident of Bhatara, said there were around 10 canals including Putirchora, Jagir, Baun Khola, Rainat, Tohadi, Boruidda in Bhatara and Shidki and Boldagora in Sawra Mouja. All the canals are now dead or facing extinction due to the projects.

Muzammel Haque Bir Pratik, a former union parishad chairman of Bhatara union, said there were around 10 canals in the union and other adjoining areas but most of those are now either being filled up or in a critical condition.

The canals which are now barely surviving include Durdi, Bhatara, Gangurdia, Telikhola and Brahmankhola Khal.

Another former public representative of the area said there were canals starting from the Rashidkhali canal to Kathaldia; Kathaldia to Bhatara, Bhatara to Satarkul, Satarkul to Noinartek via Baunkhola, Telikhola, Gangordia and Putichora. Though the condition of Rashidkhali canal is comparatively better but the other ones are in death throes.

All the canals generated from Rashidkhali Khal and had links with the Balu river, he said.

There was a canal from Putichora to Aindartake to Monardi, which was also in a critical condition, he said, adding, the Monardi-Tilar Khal -- another canal, ceased to exist.

He said some of the canals are still alive since the real estate companies use them to carry sand-laden trawlers, which might be also filled up if the developers do not deem them necessary.

Recovering these canals is a must, he emphasised, adding, if the government takes an initiative then there is still hope.

Architect Salma A Shafi, joint secretary of Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon, said housing projects are being constructed filling up canals and water bodies unabated and people from all strata are involved with the encroachments.

Contacted, Md Sirajul Islam, Rajuk's chief town planner, said, “The housing companies do not have any authorities to fill up the canals. They did not get any permission from us.”

“We are already taking steps regarding this. We have sent letters to the developers who are filling up the water bodies,” he said, adding, “What we need is a coordinated approach among the government offices to mitigate this crisis.”

Liakat Ali Bhuiyan, first vice-president of Real Estate and Housing Association of Bangladesh (REHAB), said, “According to our code of conduct, our members are restricted to fill up water bodies and canals. We always discourage our members regarding that. We believe none of our members are involved in wet land filling or canal encroachment.”

“We also maintain a mediation cell regarding any complaints, where we try to solve those accordingly,” he added.

A 1993 inter-ministerial committee meeting on greater Dhaka metropolitan decided to make waterways in three rivers -- Buriganga, Turag and Balu and keeping seven canals suitable for water transportation. The seven canals are Bhatara, Badda, Gazaria, Beopar, Dumini, Manda, and Gerani Khal.

All the canals are situated on the eastern part of the city and most of them are struggling for survival.