Dhaka WASA has handed over the responsibility of 26 canals to Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) and North City Corporation (DNCC) to alleviate water logging in Dhaka metropolis.
The canals were handed over at the Ruposhi Bangla Grand Ballroom at Hotel Intercontinental on Thursday through the signing of a memorandum of understanding between WASA, DNCC and DSCC. Local Government Minister Tajul Islam was present as the chief guest at the signing ceremony.
He said that before 1988, the canals of Dhaka were supervised by the then Dhaka Municipal Corporation. But the exact reason why those canals went to WASA through any process is not known. So there was a lot of lack of coordination in the maintenance of the canals for so many days.
The minister said now 26 canals in Dhaka have been handed over from WASA to DNCC and DSCC. Those two agencies will be responsible for their maintenance. This will no longer cause waterlogging in the city.
Tajul Islam said the government has taken various steps to increase civic service in Dhaka. It is being implemented one by one. Once upon a time, the people of the country could set an example with the beauty of Dhaka city, not Singapore or the developed world.
Atiqul Islam, mayor of Dhaka North City Corporation, said that the canal is going to be owned by the city corporation from today. These canals will be cleaned and the speed of water in the canals will be restored as before. Besides, illegal structures on both sides of the canal will be evicted. Greening, walkways and cycle lanes will be created by re-digging canals and increasing water holding capacity.
Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) Mayor Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh declared the transfer of responsibility for drainage management as a historic day by signing a memorandum of understanding.
From next Saturday, we will start cleaning three canals and two box culverts (Panthapath and Segunbagicha) including Dhaka's Jirani, DSCC Manda with its own funds," he said. This work will be completed in the next three months. Kalunagar canal has been partially cleaned. After that work will be done on Dholai canal and Buriganga Adi channel.
Besides, a project worth around Tk 900 crore for canal and canal development will be sent to ECNEC for approval, the DSCC mayor said.
