City corporations take over 13 canals from Rajuk, BWDB
Government yesterday decided to hand over 13 canals that are under the management of Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) and Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk) to two city corporations of Dhaka.
This was disclosed by LGRD Minister Md Tazul Islam yesterday after a follow-up meeting on the city's canals and drainage system at a conference room of local government division.
Tazul said they handed over 26 canals of Dhaka and drainage lines to city corporations with a view to evicting all encroachers and constructing walkways, planting trees along the bank of the canals and beautifying all of them.
"We have found the existence of 39 canals in Dhaka city and we have asked DC office Dhaka to submit the area list of the canals to the city corporations in phases, based on CS and RS record within the next three months," said the minister.
He said people have occupied the canals and adjacent land by creating false documents and all illegal structures will be demolished.
Tazul said the two city corporations have already started cleaning and eviction work.
About the unplanned construction of culverts at different points, the minister said they have decided to identify the unplanned culverts and construct necessary culverts in a planned manner.
About the box culverts, the minister said the two city corporations have already started cleaning box culverts which were piled with garbage of almost 20-30 years.
The minister said they are trying to establish better connectivity among the canals where it is possible. "If this is implemented, Dhaka will be a very beautiful city," he said.
He said they have asked the two city corporations to submit their project proposals on the canals.
Tazul said they will provide all kinds of support from the ministry to the city corporations in this regard.
The capital's city corporations on December 31 formally took over the management and maintenance responsibilities of 26 canals and 10-kilometres of box culverts from Dhaka Wasa, raising hope that city's long-standing waterlogging problem would be solved.
Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (Wasa) had been responsible for the 26 canals (84.5 km) and the 10- box culverts (around 10 km) since 1988. It also looks after 385 km of storm water drains.
The DNCC and DSCC had been managing 2,200 km of pipe and surface drains alone at that time.
Comments