Shawdesh Desk:

Eight canals, including Old Buriganga channel, in the capital will get their original look as Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) is demarcating the boundary and erecting pillars and fences to protect them from further grabbing.

The canals are Jirani, Manda, Sugunbagicha, Deb Dholai, Shyampur Bou Bazar, Shyampur Boroitola, Hazaribagh Bou Bazar and old Buriganga channel.

The waste management department is conducting a cleanliness drive in the canals to ensure water flow while the estate department is conducting mobile court to demolish illegal establishments on both the banks, said DSCC officials.

A progress report of canal recovery work by DSCC Estate department said the boundary demarcation work of 3.98km Jirani canal flows through Trimohoni, Nandipara,, Basabo, Kadamtala and ends in Manda Suknagar Bridge area was completed.

The work of evicting illegal grabbers and setting up demarcation pillars with barbed wire is also completed.

In Old Buriganga Channel, the department completed the demarcation work of the canal from Kalunagar Sluice gate to Loharpul in Kamarngirchar area and set up pillars.

It also said the demarcation work of 7.5km Deb Dhoali canal which flows through Trimohoni, Dakkhingaon Begunbari, Amin Mohmmad Green Model Town to Kazla bridge, was completed at its 70 percent length and illegal grabbers have been removed from 50 per cent length.

The demarcation work is underway at the 2.50-metre Bou Bazar canal at Hazaribagh.

DSCC has completed the demarcation work of the 1.78km Segunbagicha canal and 80 per cent of the work of evicting illegal grabbers has been completed.

It has also completed the demarcation work of the 1.95 km long Manda canal.

The work of boundary demarcation and driving out illegal grabbers has been completed at Bou Bazar and Boroitola canals in Shyampur.

During the recent visit to the Shyampur Bou Bazar canal at Jurain portion, it was seen that the boundary pillars were set up with barbed wire which prevents locals from dumping inside the canal.

Mamun Mia, a resident of Shaympur area said, “The condition of the canal was so bad that a newcomer could hardly identify it as a canal because it was full of silted waste.  The city corporation has removed the waste and set up boundary walls with barbed wires. Now, none can enter the site to dump waste into it.”

He hoped the city corporation would take proper steps for the beautification of the canal.

DSCC Chief Estate Officer Rasel Sabrin said, “We are conducting the demarcation work in the canals as per the CS and RS record. After completing the demarcation work, we are demolishing the illegal structure and setting up pillars with barbed wire so that none can grab it anew.”

He said that they also issued notice to dwellers living on both sides of the canals not to dump human waste into it through direct pipelines.

Talking to the Daily Sun, DSCC Superintending Engineer Khairul Baker said, “After completing the work, we will implement a development project to develop walkways, bridges on both banks of four canals so that none can grab it anew.”

He also said, “Meanwhile, we have submitted a development project proposal to the planning division and they have given some observations on it. We hope the project will be finalised soon. When the project will be implemented, the canals will get a new look.”