isations regarding ownership of canals, their maintenance and other issues for last several decades. Taking advantage of the situation vested quarter is occupying many canals. Existence of 20 canals out of 46 is almost lost, claimed the concerned authority. It was found that not only influential people but also government organisations constructed different establishments filling canals. Besides, canals in the residential areas in the city were filled and allotted as plots. Roads have been constructed filling canals in some places. Taskforce was formed from top level of the government when existence of canals in the capital was in danger. Former Chairman of Water Resources Engineering Department of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) and Executive Director of Institute of Water Modeling Prof Dr M Monwar Hosain said, “Coordination among organisations who are working on rivers and canals in the capital is important. Responsibilities will become specific if it is determined that which organisation will work on which canal and what work they will do. So, this matter should be settled soon. Otherwise everyone will escape by blaming each other.” It was found that five organisations, Dhaka City Corporation (North and South), Dhaka WASA, Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK), Dhaka district administration and Water Development Board (WDB) are responsible for canals in the capital. Due to lack of consistency in maintenance, restoration and all required work these canals are being occupied one by one. At one stage responsibility of monitoring these canals was given to Dhaka WASA. There are allegations that Dhaka district administration did not hand over the canals to Dhaka WASA determining the areas of canals. But the district administrator claimed that everything was handed over already. Often RAJUK is approving building construction on the land of canal. City Corporation also constructed some roads on the land of canal. A water body was in C- block area of Khilgaon, which was connected with the Khal. But, previous government had filled the water body and setup an exchange office of TNT. Then they made a residential plot on the place and gave allotment. Similarly, a large part of canal behind Tilpapara was filled and made a play ground on it while some part has been allotted. The City Corporation has made a road after filling up 30 feet space of 200 meter Ramchandrapur Khal. City Corporation also made a road on Segunbagicha Khal. Like this, most of the canals in capital were filled at government’s own initiative. Existences of many canals are also absent in government document. The existence of Paribagh Khal, Dhanmondi Khal, Kathalbagan Khal, Razabazar Khal, Rayerbazar Khal, Begunbari Khal, Gopibagh Khal, Dholaikhal-1, Dholaikhal-2, Dakhingaon-Nandipara Khal, Razarbagh-Nandipara khal, Nandipara-Tremohoni Khal, Naserabad-nandipara Khal, Bauthar Khal, Gobindapur Khal was not found in government document now. WASA has taken a comprehensive project worth Tk 11 crore to recover and maintain the canals and to develop sanitation and supply pure drinking water in Dhaka. Most of the money of World Bank was spent for canal. There is a doubt of works after spending the huge amount of money for the canal. Meanwhile, according to the government’s order Water Development Board (WDB) is the responsible for protecting river, canals and water bodies around the Dhaka city. But this organization hardly takes action in protecting the canals of the Dhaka city. According to the section 6 (Ka) of Water Development Board act-2000, the board shall perform construction of dams, barrages, reservoirs, embankments, regulators or other structures for development of rivers, flood control, drainage, surface irrigation, and drought prevention. Under section 15, within the framework, the Board shall implement projects having a command area of more then 1000 hectares. As per section-2 of rules of procedure, Water Resources ministry is liable to frame policy and extend logistic support to promote irrigation, control flood and solve water logging and drainage related problems. As a result, the BWDB has initiated a drainage project by dividing Dhaka as east consists of an area of 12,400 hector and west an area of 13,600 hector. It is learnt that to conduct survey on canal and river under the management of BWDB, it has a design department consisting of a Morphology circle and six design circles. It is projected to ready design the water flow under the survey and design department in a bid to revive the river and canals of Dhaka city. But, any seen work of this organization on river and canals of the capital is hardly seen.
Thursday, October 16, 2014
Five protectors turn predators of canals:Daily Sun
isations regarding ownership of canals, their maintenance and other issues for last several decades. Taking advantage of the situation vested quarter is occupying many canals. Existence of 20 canals out of 46 is almost lost, claimed the concerned authority. It was found that not only influential people but also government organisations constructed different establishments filling canals. Besides, canals in the residential areas in the city were filled and allotted as plots. Roads have been constructed filling canals in some places. Taskforce was formed from top level of the government when existence of canals in the capital was in danger. Former Chairman of Water Resources Engineering Department of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) and Executive Director of Institute of Water Modeling Prof Dr M Monwar Hosain said, “Coordination among organisations who are working on rivers and canals in the capital is important. Responsibilities will become specific if it is determined that which organisation will work on which canal and what work they will do. So, this matter should be settled soon. Otherwise everyone will escape by blaming each other.” It was found that five organisations, Dhaka City Corporation (North and South), Dhaka WASA, Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK), Dhaka district administration and Water Development Board (WDB) are responsible for canals in the capital. Due to lack of consistency in maintenance, restoration and all required work these canals are being occupied one by one. At one stage responsibility of monitoring these canals was given to Dhaka WASA. There are allegations that Dhaka district administration did not hand over the canals to Dhaka WASA determining the areas of canals. But the district administrator claimed that everything was handed over already. Often RAJUK is approving building construction on the land of canal. City Corporation also constructed some roads on the land of canal. A water body was in C- block area of Khilgaon, which was connected with the Khal. But, previous government had filled the water body and setup an exchange office of TNT. Then they made a residential plot on the place and gave allotment. Similarly, a large part of canal behind Tilpapara was filled and made a play ground on it while some part has been allotted. The City Corporation has made a road after filling up 30 feet space of 200 meter Ramchandrapur Khal. City Corporation also made a road on Segunbagicha Khal. Like this, most of the canals in capital were filled at government’s own initiative. Existences of many canals are also absent in government document. The existence of Paribagh Khal, Dhanmondi Khal, Kathalbagan Khal, Razabazar Khal, Rayerbazar Khal, Begunbari Khal, Gopibagh Khal, Dholaikhal-1, Dholaikhal-2, Dakhingaon-Nandipara Khal, Razarbagh-Nandipara khal, Nandipara-Tremohoni Khal, Naserabad-nandipara Khal, Bauthar Khal, Gobindapur Khal was not found in government document now. WASA has taken a comprehensive project worth Tk 11 crore to recover and maintain the canals and to develop sanitation and supply pure drinking water in Dhaka. Most of the money of World Bank was spent for canal. There is a doubt of works after spending the huge amount of money for the canal. Meanwhile, according to the government’s order Water Development Board (WDB) is the responsible for protecting river, canals and water bodies around the Dhaka city. But this organization hardly takes action in protecting the canals of the Dhaka city. According to the section 6 (Ka) of Water Development Board act-2000, the board shall perform construction of dams, barrages, reservoirs, embankments, regulators or other structures for development of rivers, flood control, drainage, surface irrigation, and drought prevention. Under section 15, within the framework, the Board shall implement projects having a command area of more then 1000 hectares. As per section-2 of rules of procedure, Water Resources ministry is liable to frame policy and extend logistic support to promote irrigation, control flood and solve water logging and drainage related problems. As a result, the BWDB has initiated a drainage project by dividing Dhaka as east consists of an area of 12,400 hector and west an area of 13,600 hector. It is learnt that to conduct survey on canal and river under the management of BWDB, it has a design department consisting of a Morphology circle and six design circles. It is projected to ready design the water flow under the survey and design department in a bid to revive the river and canals of Dhaka city. But, any seen work of this organization on river and canals of the capital is hardly seen.
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