50 makeshift illegal structures removed

Dhaka Wasa removes illegal makeshift structures from Ramchandrapur Canal at Mohammadpur in the city yesterday.Photo: STAR

Dhaka Wasa removed around 50 makeshift structures and knocked down illegal portions of six concrete buildings to free Ramchandrapur canal from illegal occupancy in the city's Mohammadpur area yesterday, almost a year after the last attempt.
However, the unauthorised extensions of four of the buildings were demolished partially keeping the foundations intact.
Locals apprehended such minor action might allow the encroachers to rebuild the partly flattened illegal portions.
Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (Wasa) launched a three-day eviction drive near Nobodoy Housing along Dhaka Embankment to free a 1.5-kilometre stretch of the three-km long canal from Mohammadpur Shia Mosque to Gabtoli from encroachment.
Leading the drive, Executive Magistrate of Dhaka Wasa Kazi Wasi Uddin said they would demolish the illegal portions of the buildings during the ongoing drive.
"After completing the drive, we will build a walkway to demarcate the canal permanently and the illegal foundations will be removed at that time," mentioned Ruhul Amin, executive engineer at drainage division of Wasa.
A private housing company has built a half-kilometre road encroaching into the canal and it has been carpeted by Dhaka City Corporation, he added. “But we cannot demolish the road immediately without making an alternative arrangement.”
Wasa officials said around 200 makeshift structures and 15 concrete buildings and boundary walls have been erected encroaching into the canal.
In last October, Wasa had to abandon a scheduled eviction drive to recover the canal as the district administration backed off in the face of opposition by a group of 'freedom fighters,' who still allegedly occupy a stretch of the canal with illegal structures.
Official sources said this time the government high-ups gave the go-ahead to the removal of illegal structures.
Day labourers carried out the drive manually and the law enforcers helped maintain law and order.
The national taskforce on canal and river protection by the end of September last year decided to free six Dhaka canals including Katashur, Kalyanpur Ka, Kalyanpur Ga, Shyampur, Ramchandrapur and Hazaribagh canals from the clutches of grabbers.
Eviction drives have so far been conducted in the Katashur and two Kalyanpur canals.