In Tangail, no one seems to care about canals

Once a trading hub along the banks of the Louhajang river, Tangail was adorned with 27 canals, crisscrossing through the town.

While these waterbodies ensured fresh drinking water for locals, it also served as the most preferred inter-town connectivity channel, especially for traders who could transport goods on boats to different spots across the region.

However, continued negligence from authorities has led to the extinction of five waterbodies, while 22 others remain on their deathbeds, alleged locals.

The District Administration and Water Development Board were unable to provide the accurate number of canals in the area. However, as per Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association, Tangail town is home to 27 canals as per CS records, several of which have already disappeared, while many are counting their last breaths.

According to locals, the municipality constructed roads, drains, shops and markets along the canals while local influential people have encroached upon them further by building structures.

As a result, waterlogging has become a regular issue in many areas of the town. The lack of a proper drainage system further exacerbated the issue.

Gautam Chandra Chanda, divisional coordinator of Bela, said the district administration has been informed about the sorry state of the canals in Tangail town.

"The ministry concerned has strict instructions for protection and conservation of rivers, canals and other reservoirs, while the High Court has also issued guidelines in this regard," he said.

Ratan Ahmed Siddique, general secretary of Tangail River, Canal, Waterbodies and Environment Protection Movement Committee, alleged miscreants, with the help of public representatives, are encroaching and filling the canals for a long time. Many canals which exist on paper would actually be non-existent in reality, he added.

"Drainage pipes from markets and households are connected to the canals, making the water unusable and the stench unbearable," he added.

Denying the knowledge of any roads built on the canals, municipality mayor SM Sirajul Haque Alamgir said, "Canals serve the people, but roads are also built for their interest. And the drains have been constructed following their demands. Measures will be taken after discussion with all concerned."

Meanwhile, environmentalists said the municipality authorities constructed several markets on the Shyam Babur Khal, the largest flowing canal in the district town, before turning it into a drain. They also constructed roads and drains, while illegal occupants have built residential houses and commercial spaces on the canal, the activists alleged.

They urged the district administration to take quick steps in this regard.

Sazzad Hossain, executive engineer of WDB in Tangail, said discussions have been held with the district administration to restore the canals.

Md Kaiserul Islam, deputy commissioner in Tangail, said the occupied canals will be recovered through proper legal process.