Hope for Sylhet city canals

A Tk 236.4 crore project has been sanctioned at the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) meeting on December 22 to recover, protect and beautify all the canals under the Sylhet City Corporation (SCC).

Of the project cost, Tk 200.94cr will be provided by the government and Tk 35.45cr from the SCC's own fund, said an SCC press release yesterday.

“Ecnec has given two years' time for the project's completion. We will start in January next year and hopefully complete it by December 2017,” said Enamul Habib, SCC chief executive officer.

He said the project has been approved following a proposed plan conducted by the city corporation in 2014. A team led by Prof Jahir Bin Alam of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology then conducted a study in 2015 on how to protect the city canals and the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives forwarded it to the planning commission, which Ecnec finally approved.

As part of the project, 26.96km RCC retaining walls around 13 major canals, 5km U-drains and 3.5km walkways will be constructed and 10km canals will be dredged, Enamul said.

The total length of the city canals is 76km, according to the city corporation. The 13 canals are Malnichhara, Goalichhara, Gaviar Khal, Mugnichhara, Kalibari Chhara, Haldichhara, Jugnichhara, Dhopachhara, Bubichhara, Babuchhara, Ratnar Khal, Jaitiyar Khal and Basur Khal.

“We are about to give the city a natural and fresh look by recovering and protecting its canals. We have also prepared a detailed design,” said Nur Azizur Rahman, acting chief engineer of the SCC.

Meanwhile, showing concern, Faruk Mahmud Chowdhury, president of SHUJAN Sylhet chapter, alleged the city corporation has taken many projects to recover and protect the canals, but never informed the citizens about the project cost, who were the contractors, tendering authority or even the name of the projects. “So, we urge SCC to ensure the clarity regarding the project,” he said.

“We are also coming up with plans for recovering and protecting the remaining canals,” said the SCC chief executive officer, adding, “The previous projects undertaken to save the city canals have been successfully implemented and we will continue to do so.”