Reclaimed Mirpur canal grabbed again

A reclaimed canal near the shrine of Hazrat Shah Ali (R) at Mirpur-1 has again been grabbed by local traders with the backing of some influential people. 

In 2012, the authorities reclaimed the Mirpur-1 canal by removing all encroachments and re-excavating it to allow rain and household water to drain out from the areas, preventing waterlogging. 
Over 65 canals used to flow through the capital once and act as its lifeline. Many of these water channels are fully or partially choked, while the rest are under serious threat of encroachment. 
The Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (DWASA) had earlier taken initiatives in line with a decision of the last caretaker government to recover 26 out of 43 canals from encroachers. 
Earlier, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina formed a national task force headed by shipping minister Shahjahan Khan to protect rivers and to monitor and free the city canals from encroachment.
The National Task Force on Rivers had issued an order on September 29, 2010, to free 26 canals in Dhaka from encroachment and demolish all illegal structures on their banks. 
Following the task force’s orders, the DWASA, the Water Development Board, Dhaka City Corporations and other agencies started reclaiming the city canals and began construction of walkways next to the canals. But the canals have again been occupied by encroachers because there is no monitoring. 
They also reclaimed the Ramchandrapur canal in April 2012 and the Mirpur canal near Shah Ali Mazar, yet both canals have been grabbed again by encroachers. 
“The canal was re-excavated more than three years ago. It has now been filled up again by traders with the help of local people in the past 20–25 days,” Habibur Rahman, a shop assistant near the canal, told The Independent yesterday. 
When contacted over the matter, Taqsem A Khan, Managing Director of Dhaka WASA told The Independent, “I am not aware of the incident. We will take necessary action in this regard immediately.”
Authorities said various canals crisscrossing the capital are still being encroached upon, despite various initiatives taken by the government, such as construction of walkways around the water bodies. 
According to experts, the 65 canals interconnecting the four rivers flowing in and around Dhaka—Turag, Shitalakhya, Balu, and Buriganga—used to function as a natural drainage system for flushing out rainwater ever since the city was built by the Mughals around 400 years ago. 
In December 2011, Shahjahan Khan, who heads the task force to ensure navigability and natural flow of all important rivers flowing around the capital city, said the task force was expected to reclaim only 13 out of the 43 canals; the rest have been filled up beyond reclamation. 
On the basis of different land surveys—particularly the Dhaka City Survey (1995–2009)—DWASA has acknowledged that there were once at least 65 canals, the number of which came down to 43 in the course of time. Of these, about 20 canals are already dead as a result of being mindlessly filled up, either fully or partially. 
The 26 canals are Kalyanpur main canal, Kalyanpur Ka, Kha, Gha, Unwa and Cha canals, Katasur, Ramchandpur, Abdullahpur, Diyabari, Digun, Gulshan-Banani, Mohakhali, Hazaribagh, Begunbari, Khilgaon-Basabo, Manda, Sutivola, Badda-Shahjadpur, Rupnagar, Baisteki, Kalshi, Bouniya, and Ibrahimpur canals, Housing canal in Mirpur-14, and Jirani canal. 
The other canals on the list that are not under DWASA are: Char Kamrangir Khal, Begunbari-Meradiya-Gajariya, Dakkhingaon-Nandipara, Rajarbagh-Nandipara, Nasirabad-Nandipara, Nandipara-Trimohoni, and Boufar (Boualiya) canals.

Reclaimed Mirpur canal grabbed again

A reclaimed canal near the shrine of Hazrat Shah Ali (R) at Mirpur-1 has again been grabbed by local traders with the backing of some influential people. In 2012, the authorities reclaimed the Mirpur-1 canal by removing all encroachments and re-excavating it to allow rain and household water to drain out from the areas, preventing waterlogging. Over 65 canals used to flow through the capital once and act as its lifeline. Many of these water channels are fully or partially choked, while the rest are under serious threat of encroachment. The Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (DWASA) had earlier taken initiatives in line with a decision of the last caretaker government to recover 26 out of 43 canals from encroachers. Earlier, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina formed a national task force headed by shipping minister Shahjahan Khan to protect rivers and to monitor and free the city canals from encroachment. The National Task Force on Rivers had issued an order on September 29, 2010, to free 26 canals in Dhaka from encroachment and demolish all illegal structures on their banks. Following the task forces orders, the DWASA, the Water Development Board, Dhaka City Corporations and other agencies started reclaiming the city canals and began construction of walkways next to the canals. But the canals have again been occupied by encroachers because there is no monitoring. They also reclaimed the Ramchandrapur canal in April 2012 and the Mirpur canal near Shah Ali Mazar, yet both canals have been grabbed again by encroachers. The canal was re-excavated more than three years ago. It has now been filled up again by traders with the help of local people in the past 2025 days, Habibur Rahman, a shop assistant near the canal, told The Independent yesterday. When contacted over the matter, Taqsem A Khan, Managing Director of Dhaka WASA told The Independent, I am not aware of the incident. We will take necessary action in this regard immediately. Authorities said various canals crisscrossing the capital are still being encroached upon, despite various initiatives taken by the government, such as construction of walkways around the water bodies. According to experts, the 65 canals interconnecting the four rivers flowing in and around DhakaTurag, Shitalakhya, Balu, and Burigangaused to function as a natural drainage system for flushing out rainwater ever since the city was builtby the Mughals around 400 years ago. In December 2011, Shahjahan Khan, who heads the task force to ensure navigability and natural flow of all important rivers flowing around the capital city, said the task force was expected to reclaim only 13 out of the 43 canals; the rest have been filled up beyond reclamation. On the basis of different land surveysparticularly the Dhaka City Survey (19952009)DWASA has acknowledged that there were once at least 65 canals, the number of which came down to 43 in the course of time. Of these, about 20 canals are already dead as a result of being mindlessly filled up, either fully or partially. The 26 canals are Kalyanpur main canal, Kalyanpur Ka, Kha, Gha, Unwa and Cha canals, Katasur, Ramchandpur, Abdullahpur, Diyabari, Digun, Gulshan-Banani, Mohakhali, Hazaribagh, Begunbari, Khilgaon-Basabo, Manda, Sutivola, Badda-Shahjadpur, Rupnagar, Baisteki, Kalshi, Bouniya, and Ibrahimpur canals, Housing canal in Mirpur-14, and Jirani canal. The other canals on the list that are not under DWASA are: Char Kamrangir Khal, Begunbari-Meradiya-Gajariya, Dakkhingaon-Nandipara, Rajarbagh-Nandipara, Nasirabad-Nandipara, Nandipara-Trimohoni, and Boufar (Boualiya) canals.