The Dhaka North City Corporation has plans to decorate 13 canals with modern civic facilities.
In the meantime, the two city corporations of Dhaka have been given the responsibilities of cleaning and maintaining 26 canals from Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (DWASA) to reduce the long-standing water logging problem in the city.
After getting the responsibility, the DNCC has been working hard to recover all the city canals and restore them to their natural beauty.
According to the DNCC plan, trees will be planted on the banks of the recovered canals to increase natural beauty. Besides, cycle lanes and pathways for pedestrians will be built. LED lights will be set up for night beauty.
DNCC officials said that waste cleaning activity and evicting illegal establishments is ongoing. After cleaning waste and evicting illegal establishments, boundary pillars will be set up on the banks of each canal and be decorated in phases.
DNCC's Public Relation Officer (PRO) ASM Mamun told Bangladesh Post, “We have cleaned almost 8000 tons of waste from the canals. Our activity is ongoing. We will make the canals capable of carrying the city’s rain water and decorate them for the people’s refreshment.”
However, in 2016, the government dissolved Harirampur, Uttorkhan, Dokkinkhan, Badda, Beraid, Dumni, Shatarkul and Bhatara Unions and included the areas in DNCC to increase civic service in Dhaka. But there is no infrastructural development done in these areas for a long time of inclusion in DNCC.
These area canals have been covered with wastes and hundreds of illegal establishments also built on both sides. However, it was seen that the DNCC has operated some evicting operations in some canals of these areas and cleaned waste.
Contacted, Atiqul Islam, Mayor of the Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) told Bangladesh Post, “There is no alternative to recovering canals for restoring water flow. This time the DNCC will not back down from evicting illegal structures from the canal boundaries. The canal will be rescued with the cooperation of the people.”
DNCC Mayor further said, “CS maps will be followed to fix the boundary of canals and all types of illegal installations will be removed. No matter how many obstacles come in the way of implementation of this work, DNCC will not back down. No concessions or favors will be given to the occupiers, no matter how powerful they may be.”
Earlier, the LGRD Minister Md Tajul Islam said at a programme, “The government has taken different initiatives to increase civic service and it is being implemented in phases. Hopefully people can give examples of the beauty of Dhaka city in the near future instead of giving examples of Singapore or other developed cities in the world.”
