Canal under illegal occupation in N’ganj

A section of influential people defying the local administration and even ignoring the environment rules are constructing a good number of structures and bridges on the Baburail canal which connects the Shitalakhya and Buriganga rivers. Once boats carrying goods from the Buriganga river bank to the east side of the district used to ply the canal. The canal, which is almost five kilometres long, had smooth water flow carrying wastes from the homesteads. Now the canal is dying day by day as the illegal occupiers every day construct shops interrupting its water flow. The five kilometre long canal flows through two police station areas. Almost all of its east side is under Narayanganj sadar police and the rest falls under Fatulla model police station. The part of canal which is under sadar police station also falls within the area of Narayanganj City Corporation. Another portion of the canal which is under Fatulla model police station also covers the jurisdiction of Kashipur union council. Visiting  from east side to west side of the canal, it is found that there are 185 illegal shops, 34 bridged and four club houses on the canal.
In the city corporation area, it was found that fifty shops are on the west side of Bangabandhu Road and 37 structures are on the east side of the same road. Commercial structures are mostly found in Jimkhana area on Mobarak Shah Road.
A shop owner named Selim said, “I have paid money to a person for constructing shops. But he did not agree to say the names of his  men.” The city corporation authorities earlier conducted drive to demolish the illegal shops on the  Mobarak Shah Road, also bank of Baburail canal, but failed as owners of the majority shops claimed they had got the canal land on lease from the railway authorities. The canal begins from the west side and ends on the east side crossing the city under Banganbandhu Road where there is the bridge known as Mondolpara Bridge. Now-a-days, none can find the bridge as its both sides are filled with earth. Almost half of the canal area with the city corporation area is out of eviction drive as cases are pending about the structures there, said an official. Filling the canal with earth in the heart of the city named Mondol Para, some people constructed commercial shops and some set up sale centres of bamboo, cement and iron rod. On the other hand, the portion of the canal that is under Kashipur union council has been grabbed where the occupiers are running business. A shop owner named Foyez Ahed said, “I have been giving yearly tax to union council and I have license.” In a query, Raihan Ahmed Kajol, secretary of Kashipur union council, said, “We collect tax and give licence for his trading temporary basis.” However, the canal has become narrow as the both sides have been encroached upon by the illegal occupiers. Navigation and sewerage system by this canal are absolutely disrupted. A senior citizen of Kashipur union council Mohabbat Ali said, “Once we ran boats in this canal and it was principal communication way to reach the town.” Narayanganj sadar upazila chairman Advocate Abul Kalam Azad Biswas immediately after visiting the canal said, “We have to take immediate actions against illegal canal occupiers to save environment.”

 

Canal under illegal occupation in Nganj

A section of influential people defying the local administration and even ignoring the environment rules are constructing a good number of structures and bridges on the Baburail canal which connects the Shitalakhya and Buriganga rivers. Once boats carrying goods from the Buriganga river bank to the east side of the district used to ply the canal. The canal, which is almost five kilometres long, had smooth water flow carrying wastes from the homesteads. Now the canal is dying day by day as the illegal occupiers every day construct shops interrupting its water flow. The five kilometre long canal flows through two police station areas. Almost all of its east side is under Narayanganj sadar police and the rest falls under Fatulla model police station. The part of canal which is under sadar police station also falls within the area of Narayanganj City Corporation. Another portion of the canal which is under Fatulla model police station also covers the jurisdiction of Kashipur union council. Visiting from east side to west side of the canal, it is found that there are 185 illegal shops, 34 bridged and four club houses on the canal. In the city corporation area, it was found that fifty shops are on the west side of Bangabandhu Road and 37 structures are on the east side of the same road. Commercial structures are mostly found in Jimkhana area on Mobarak Shah Road. A shop owner named Selim said, I have paid money to a person for constructing shops. But he did not agree to say the names of his men. The city corporation authorities earlier conducted drive to demolish the illegal shops on the Mobarak Shah Road, also bank of Baburail canal, but failed as owners of the majority shops claimed they had got the canal land on lease from the railway authorities. The canal begins from the west side and ends on the east side crossing the city under Banganbandhu Road where there is the bridge known as Mondolpara Bridge. Now-a-days, none can find the bridge as its both sides are filled with earth. Almost half of the canal area with the city corporation area is out of eviction drive as cases are pending about the structures there, said an official. Filling the canal with earth in the heart of the city named Mondol Para, some people constructed commercial shops and some set up sale centres of bamboo, cement and iron rod. On the other hand, the portion of the canal that is under Kashipur union council has been grabbed where the occupiers are running business. A shop owner named Foyez Ahed said, I have been giving yearly tax to union council and I have license. In a query, Raihan Ahmed Kajol, secretary of Kashipur union council, said, We collect tax and give licence for his trading temporary basis. However, the canal has become narrow as the both sides have been encroached upon by the illegal occupiers. Navigation and sewerage system by this canal are absolutely disrupted. A senior citizen of Kashipur union council Mohabbat Ali said, Once we ran boats in this canal and it was principal communication way to reach the town. Narayanganj sadar upazila chairman Advocate Abul Kalam Azad Biswas immediately after visiting the canal said, We have to take immediate actions against illegal canal occupiers to save environment.