More than 200,000 residents in four wards of Dakshinkhan are enduring prolonged waterlogging and environmental hazards as the Kotbari Canal has been severely encroached upon and polluted, locals and officials said.
Residents of Wards 47, 48, 49 and 50 say the canal, once a key drainage route carrying rainwater and waste into the Turag River, is now nearly defunct due to illegal occupation and indiscriminate dumping.
According to local accounts, encroachment intensified after 2020, with land grabbers allegedly constructing multi-storey buildings on canal land, often in violation of regulations set by the Capital Development Authority (Rajuk). At least 32 such structures have been built in and around the water channel, they claim.
Urban planning documents identify the canal as a significant water channel under the Detailed Area Plan (DAP) 2024 and part of key infrastructure projects, including the Eastern Bypass Road and the Abdullahpur–Atipara corridor. It is also linked to the proposed inner circular road network in the area.
Data suggest that the canal’s mouth, once 80 to 120 feet wide, has narrowed drastically to about 15 feet in some sections due to encroachment. In other stretches, it has been almost entirely filled.
Residents allege that parts of the canal have been filled with waste to build access roads, while untreated human waste from nearby illegal structures is being discharged directly into the water, raising serious environmental and public health concerns.
“Water remains stagnant for days after rainfall. If the canal had been preserved, we would not be suffering like this,” said one resident.
When contacted, Rajuk Assistant Director (Land Use) Md Zobaidul Islam referred queries to Director (Development Control-1) Md Monirul Haque.
Monirul Haque later said he would comment on the issue at a later time.
Officials of the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) said maintenance responsibility for Dhaka’s canals currently lies with city corporations.
BWDB Executive Engineer M L Saikat said Kotbari Canal falls under Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC), with a related agreement signed in 2020, although documents were not immediately available.
DNCC Chief Executive Officer Muhammad Asaduzzaman declined immediate comment, suggesting follow-up next week. He also advised contacting the chief waste management official.
Officials from the Local Government Division said the government has prioritised restoring the capital’s canals by removing encroachments and reviving water flow. Efforts including eviction drives and legal action against illegal occupiers are ongoing.
However, DNCC officials acknowledged that repeated encroachment after eviction drives remains a major obstacle to achieving lasting solutions.
Urban planners have proposed restoring Dhaka’s canals as part of an integrated “Blue Network” to improve drainage and reduce waterlogging. The plan includes re-excavation and interconnection of waterways.
Experts, however, point to fragmented institutional responsibilities, lack of coordination, and weak long-term maintenance as key reasons why many canals remain occupied.
Residents say without immediate eviction of encroachers and re-excavation of the Kotbari Canal, waterlogging in Dakshinkhan will persist.
They have urged authorities to take swift and effective action to restore the canal and ensure proper drainage in the area.
