Canal filled to widen Tangail highway

An important canal has been filled up at Rasulpur in Tangail Sadar upazila for the work of Joydevpur-Chandra-Tangail-Elenga Four-lane Project, posing the threat of different problems, including serious waterlogging, in the area. 

Water Development Board (WDB) dug the two-kilometre-long Rasulpur canal just beside the then Tangail-Mymensingh Road from Rasulpur to Rabna in Tangail Sadar upazila in 1997 to save the area from waterlogging, WDB sources said.

Closure of the canal will directly affect at least 11 villages including Rasulpur, Gala, Salina, Mohela, Pachbethoir, Aggbethoir, Pachhbikromhati, Aggbikromhati, Rabna, Noyapara and Sadullapur, said poet Rashed Rahman of Rasulpur.

"Earlier, water entering the villages from the nearby Pungli river through different canals during the wet season passed through Rasulpur canal and spread to different areas.

"But the water flow will be hindered due to filling of the canal and rain water will remain stagnant at the villages. Besides, there will be no scope of deposition of silt on the local croplands," he added.

Mofiz Uddin, president of Noboprojonmo Sahitya Sangsad in Rasulpur, said their village will be inundated with overflowing water after opening of the sluice gate on another canal flowing through the west side of the village.

"On the other hand, if the sluice gate is not opened, the village as well as the Tangail town protection embankment will face erosion threat due to the huge pressure of the Pungli river water during the wet season," he said.

"We had raised objection when the contractor firm of the four-lane project came to fill up the canal but they did not care. The whole area will be seriously affected if the problem is not solved soon," said Atoar Rahman, former chairman of Gala union parishad.

Debashish De, an engineer of the firm, Dienco Limited, said the WDB had dug the canal on the lands of Roads and Highways Department (RHD).

"However, WDB were previously informed through letter about filling up the canal; now they (WDB) will have to dig another canal in the area as alternative," he said.

Contacted, Shajahan Siraj, executive engineer of WDB in Tangail, said the canal was filled up before taking decision about an alternative, although a committee was formed previously in this regard.

"Now the area faces serious waterlogging problem. We are thinking of an alternative to solve the problem, although it will be very costly and require a long time. I have already informed the WDB high officials of the matter," he added.

Engineer Sheikh Mohammad Shaharul Amin, deputy manager of SASEC Road Connectivity Project: Improvement of Joydevpur-Chandra-Tangail-Elenga Road to a Four-lane Highway, said "From the beginning of the project we informed the WDB about filling up the canal but they continued delaying to take decision about an alternative."

"We could not wait for their decision as it is a priority project of the prime minister and we will have to open the four-lane highway early 2019," he said.

"It is true that the area will face serious waterlogging during floods due to filling up of the canal. Now the WDB will have to dig another canal in the area through land acquisition to solve the problem."