Project to reclaim 4 Dhaka canals

The Local Government Division initiated a project to reclaim and develop four major canals in Dhaka to bring an end to the waterlogging problem, particularly during monsoon, in the southern part of the city.

As per the project Kalunagar Canal, better known as Hazaribagh Canal, Jirani Canal, Manda Canal, and Shyampur Canal will be developed and freed from illegal occupation and pollution.

Once it is developed, around 50 lakh city dwellers will be freed from waterlogging problem in the Dhaka South City Corporation areas.

Residents of the capital suffer from waterlogging with a little shower during monsoon as most of the city thoroughfares go underwater for the faulty drainage system.

Environment-friendly walkways, separate cycle lanes and aesthetic entertainment facilities will be constructed along four canals.

A senior official of the Planning Ministry told The Business Post that the Planning Commission got a project titled ‘Reclamation of Canal, Renovation and Creating Aesthetic Environment’ from the Local Government Division for approval.

The DSCC will implement the project by December 2024, according to the project proposal.

The cost of the project is estimated at Tk 945.16 crore of which Tk 661.61 crore will come from the government exchequer and the DSCC will provide the remaining Tk 283.55 crore, the proposal also said.

Under the project, 3km of Kalunagar Canal, 3.40km of Jirani Canal, 8.20km of Manda Canal and 5km of Shyampur Canal will be dredged and developed to ensure normal water flow.

Piled up garbage and filth will be removed from the canal bed and aquaculture would also be initiated there.

The project aims to free lands of these canals from illegal occupants and pollution.

The Planning Commission at a meeting of the project evaluation committee on September 26 and asked the authorities concerned to reduce the number of consultants and consultancy expenditure.

The LGD has estimated to spend Tk 609 lakh for the consultancy purpose of the project.

The PEC also sought a revised development project proposal (DPP) to the Planning Commission mentioning the implementation timeframe from January 2022 to June 2025 as September is about to over, said Mamun Al Rashid, member of the physical infrastructure division of the Planning Commission. He said the commission has asked the LGD to put detailed estimation expenditure in the DPP.

“We also recommended revising the procurement plan as per the implementation period. The LGD should add in the DPP drawings and designs of proposed food courts, coffee shops, public toilets, gymnasiums, shades, footbridges centring the canal for beautification,” he added.

The main components of the project are 36,000 square metres of Kalunagar Canal, 68,000 square metres of Jirani canal, 2,05,000 square metres of Manda Canal and 60,000 square metres of Shyampur Canal. Alongside land development, RCC walls, pump houses, sluice gates, aesthetic lights, solar electricity panels, approach roads, eco-parks and sewerage filtering system will be constructed under the project.