13 canals to be revived: Atiqul

Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) Mayor Md Atiqul Islam yesterday said they will recover occupied portions of 13 canals from encroachers in 18 extended wards of DNCC.

"We will evict illegal structures through CS, RS and Citi Survey," said the mayor while visiting Sutivola canal and Kodda canal in Bhatara, Satarkul and Badda areas.

He said residents of the areas, who face severe waterlogging just after light rain, will benefit of the widening of the canals.

"I have already asked city corporation workers to clean all drains of the area and asked officials to take necessary steps to widen the drains," he said.

Atiq said they will do 29km of canal recovery work, re-excavate the canals, protect the banks, make cycle lanes, walkways and plant trees under the project.

"A project worth around Tk 4.24 thousand crore to develop the extended areas has already been passed in the Ecnec meeting, and our first priority is to construct drains beside the roads of the area," said the mayor.

The mayor said their second priority is to widen the roads of the areas, and local people and political leaders and activists are helping them in this regard.

"We have issued a letter to Rajuk so that they do not give approval of any new plan of constructing buildings in the 18 extended wards of DNCC, and asked councillors to observe so that no new buildings are constructed," he said.

Among others, DNCC chief executive officer Md Selim Reza, chief waste management officer Commodore M Saidur Rahman, chief health officer Brig Gen Zobaidur Rahman,  and chief engineer Brig Gen Amirul Islamwere present during the visit.