Move to free 50 Khulna city canals stalled in halfway

Khulna City Corporation's drive to free 50 canals from encroachers has remained suspended since August 12 due to legal complications and obstructions created by vested interest quarters.
The KCC on July 3 this year launched a drive to remove illegal structures from 22 canals.
Later, 28 more canals were identified and added in the list under the eviction drive to free them from illegal occupation.
The drive to demolish illegal and unauthorised structures erected by encroachers on the canals got a sudden jerk after the July 11 murder of ward councillor Shahid Iqbal Bithar who had headed the team for conducting the drive.
The demolition drive faced another setback as legal complications stood in the way when the team made an attempt to free a big canal named Majumdarer Khal from encroachers on August 12.
The encroachers are some influential businessmen of Khulna city, said KCC Estate Officer Md Nuruzzaman.
The drive will be resumed shortly in full swing after reviewing the list of encroachers, said KCC Panel Mayor-1 Azmol Ahmed Tapan who is now heading the demolition team as its new convenor.
“There will be no slackness in implementation of the KCC mayor's decision to make the drive a grand success. No encroacher, whoever he or she may be, will be shown any compassion,” he said.
Mayor Talukder Abdul Khaleque claimed that 25 out of 50 canals have so far been freed from encroachers as all illegal structures erected on them were demolished.
He expressed hope that the city dwellers would get rid of the waterlogging problem after the remaining canals are freed from encroachers.
Denying allegation of concession or compassion in favour of any encroacher on political consideration, he said the drive had been suspended due to legal complication over possession of a canal near Khulna University, shortage of day labourers and lack of fund required for carrying out demolition works.
Meanwhile, Khulna city dwellers are yet to get rid of the menace of waterlogging that they have been facing for the last three weeks.
Several thousand people living in low-lying areas in the city are the worst victims of waterlogging as rainwater cannot flow out of drains.