All canals to be recovered if opportunity comes: PM:Daily Sun

Sheikh Hasina Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said canals of the capital are flowing haphazardly. If these were operative, the capital would have been much good looking and lively. All canals of the capital will be brought back under previous condition if opportunity comes. The Prime Minister said this while addressing the officials of the Ministry of Housing and Public Works during her visit to the
ministry at Bangladesh Secretariat in the morning on Sunday. Attaching importance to planned city development, the PM said housing problem of the government employees and officials should be eliminated by abolishing ‘abandoned buildings’ and dilapidated colonies and use the lands for building multistoried buildings for government officials and employees. She said, “A lake should be created beside the Kuril flyover in the capital. There is a plan to dig two lakes on two sides of the road there. Lake should be made to keep water flow normal. The lake will be able to maintain direct connection with the river. It is very important for disposal of flood and rain water. Only open lake, and no box culvert will be constructed.” Meanwhile, experts have spoken of the necessity for estimating project cost after receiving the Prime Minister’s direction to create lake both sides of the 300 feet long Kuril road. They claimed that the estimated cost for constructing lakes on both sides of Kuril road will be Tk 20,000 to Tk 25,000 crore. The cost is near to Padma Bridge project. The experts raised question over justification of digging canals without feasibility study. They opined that the next course in this regard should be decided after feasibility study through an efficient engineers’ team. City dwellers maintain that 20 canals of the city have gone to illegal occupation. So, digging of new canals should be well thought. During her visit to works ministry, the Prime Minister said, though a canal was located at Motijheel, Ayub Khan closed the canal. During the tenure of different governments Shantinagar canal and Panthapath canal was closed. They built box culvert. Sheikh Hasina said, initiative will be taken to purchase buildings from the private owners for distributing those among the employees and officials of the government. Highrise buildings will be built by abolishing abandoned bhaban and open space of works directorate which will help resolve housing problem. She emphasised on constructing all government buildings through Public Works Department. She also directed RAJUK for speedy completion of all projects. Many canals of the capital were filled by the initiative of the government. Government is not maintaining document of many canals. Paribagh canal, Dhanmondi canal, Kathalbagan canal, Rajabazar canal, Rayerbazar canal, Begunbari canal, Gopibagh canal, Dholaikhal canal, Dakshingaon-Nandipara canal, Rajarbagh-nandipara canal, Nandipara-Trimohini canal, Nasirabad-Nandipara canal, Bauthar canal have no existence in the government document. Dhaka WASA took an integrated project worth Tk 11,000 crore with the WB fund for the development of maintenance, sewerage and supply of pure water in the capital. Lion portion of the WB fund was spent for canal excavation. Housing and Public Works Minister Engineer Mosharraf Hossain, Abul Kalam Azad, Senior Secretary of PMO, Principal Secretary Abdus Sobhan Sikder, Works Secretary Md Mainuddin Abdullah, RAJUK Chairman Engineer GM Joynal Abedin Bhuiyan, Chief Engineer of PWD Kabir Ahmed Bhuiyan, Khandker Akhtaruzzaman, Chairman of National Housing and officials of concerned ministry were present.