Final nail in Taltala canal’s coffin

The two-kilometre-long Taltala canal once used to be a vital waterbody flowing through Khulna city.

Over time, the 60 feet wide canal has shrunk and lost much of its natural flow and navigability due to encroachment and waste dumping.

To put the final nail in its coffin, the city corporation recently initiated a project to construct 15-20 feet wide concrete roads on both banks and turn the canal into a 17 feet concrete drain.

According to the KCC, the Tk 823 crore "Drainage System Development (Phase I)" project involving seven canals in the city, including Taltala canal, will solve the city's waterlogging problem.

Also, it deems the roads on the banks of Taltala canal will serve public needs.

The excavation of Taltala canal and construction of roads on its banks will be done at an estimated cost of Tk 4.62 crore.

The KCC earlier dug the canal in 2015 and constructed 6-7 feet wide brick roads on its banks.

The canal originates near Karimnagar residential area on Sonadanga-Mujgunni highway and flows through the city to merge with Mayur river.

Citing a survey, Nuruzzaman Talukder, estate officer of KCC, said the canal used to be around 50 -70 feet wide in different locations but much of its lands have been grabbed by locals on both banks.

Locals, civil society members, and environmentalists alleged that instead of taking steps against encroachers and saving the canal, the KCC is rather validating the illegal occupations of the canal's lands by constructing roads and turning it to a drain.

They also alleged that the KCC authorities went on to implement the project despite being repeatedly urged to refrain from doing so.

"The area gets waterlogged during monsoon as rainwater cannot be drained through the canal adequately in its present condition. Now instead of digging it to restore the flow, it is being turned to a drain," said Uttam Das, a local.

Nazmul Azom, a resident of Doctor Para area, said it seems the KCC is celebrating the death of the canal with this project.

Visiting the canal in Karimnagar area recently, it was seen that the construction work was going on, with more than 30 workers engaged in dumping construction materials while two supervisors were monitoring the work.

Hossain Traders, a contractor firm, has been tasked with implementing the project.

Md Abul Hossain, a sub-contractor who is supervising the work, said they are now constructing the drain for a 1,300-metre stretch from Karimnagar area.

"The drain will be, on average, 17-18 feet wide and 7.5 feet deep. The work will be completed within six months," he added.

Kudrat-E Khuda, Khulna unit president of SANAK (Sacheton Nagorik Committee), said the city authorities should have researched more before reducing a canal to a concrete drain.

Natural drain and concrete drain are not the same. Constructing a concrete drain means the canal will be killed permanently. A few years later, when the temper of the concrete will reduce and break down, the whole canal will vanish, he said.

Seeking anonymity, a supervisor of KCC said it is unfair and punishable to kill a canal. High officials who are involved in design and supervising should know the difference between open canals and concrete drains.

KCC Mayor Talukder Abdul Khaleque said, "The canal is already dead due to encroachment and pollution by locals. Now it is practically a drain and is beyond saving by digging it up. So, we will construct concrete walkways on both sides to serve public needs."