Volunteers have started cleaning the canals flowing through Barishal city from this morning.

More than 400 members of various voluntary organisations took part in the canal cleaning programme where on the first day, they cleaned the jail canal and Lakutia canal adjacent to the Natun Bazar of the city and freed the water flow.

Apart from voluntary organisation BD Clean and Manabi SNDC, various environmentalist organisations, Bangladesh Environment Lawyer's Association (BELA), and Bangladesh Paribesh Andolon (Bapa), Barishal unit participated in this cleaning programme.

Photo: Titu Das/Star

Deputy Commissioner of Barishal Md Delwar Hossain inaugurated the cleaning programme, reports our Barishal correspondent.

The DC said, " While visiting the Barisal city recently, I witnessed waterlogging caused by the rains. At that time, citizens complained that the city's 24 canals were filled and occupied due to encroachment and pollution."

He said the canals and water bodies of the city should not be encroached and polluted in any way.

Mehdi Hasan Munna, a volunteer of BD Clean, said," even if we clean it, it is no use if the walkway is not built here - a good plan should be needed to save the canals."

Another volunteer, Zaid Irfan, said that the Jail Canal and Lakutia Canal are being cleaned first. Later, initiatives will be taken to clean other canals.

Barishal unit BELA's coordinator Lincoln Bayen said Barishal once had 24 canals, but now only four remain flowing due to encroachment.

He warned that if the canals are not restored, Barishal could become a waterlogged city permanently.

Khalid bin Alid, executive engineer of Water Development Board, said a project was taken to dig seven canals in Barisal city but about Tk 3.25 crore out of six crore was returned to the ministry last July as maximum parts of the canals were occupied.

The executive engineer said, "We require large-scale projects."