Fresh bid to fill up Atir Khal

The photo shows a dredger pumping sand into Atir Khal at Waaspur on the outskirts of the capital. A housing society is filling up the age-old canal claiming it has all the documents for the land. Photo: SK Enamul Haq

A housing society is filling up the age-old Atir Khal (canal) at Waaspur on the outskirts of the capital, claiming that it has necessary documents for the land.
Atir Khal originates from the Buriganga at Waaspur and passes through dozens of trade centres and villages before falling into the same river at Kholamora some 10 km downstream. The canal serves lakhs along its route. Regular launch service from Kholamora and boat service between Ati and Swarighat ferry thousands of commuters from the area every day.
Contacted, Secretary of Waaspur Garden City Cooperative Society Md Shafique said his company is just filling up the low-lying area that belongs to hundreds of people living in the city. There is no mention of any canal in the documents his company has seen.
“We are doing the job on behalf of people who have purchased small plots everywhere in the area,” he said.
Although Shafique said his company would think of leaving a small channel in the middle, a huge dredger was pumping sand to fill up Atir Khal entirely.
Nearby, a brick kiln owner has totally blocked the canal by building a road across it.
Local people said Atir Khal has existed for hundreds of years. Starting from Waaspur, it runs through Looterchar, Ghatarchar, Emargaon, Ati Bazar, Panchdana, Balurchar, Bhangabari and Nawabchar areas before meeting the Buriganga again. Thousands of farmers and traders transport their goods through the canal that now faces total blockage at Waaspur.
An elderly local said the canal also greatly helps irrigation in the area.
“People of this area have used this canal for generations. Five years ago, the government built a bridge over the canal at Ghatarchar and two more bridges at two other places. How can they (housing society) claim it is a private property,” he said requesting anonymity.
Dozens of local people at Waaspur said the canal was once dredged to keep it navigable for the benefit of lakhs.
“It is the local land office that makes fake documents for certain people in exchange for money,” said one of them.