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Adviser for water resources, environment, forest, and climate change Syeda Rizwana Hasan has said all canals of Dhaka should be revived to make them a lifeline of the capital.
“Household wastes must be disposed of in a planned manner at a particular place…A system will be introduced so that none of the waste falls in the canal,” she said.
The adviser said this while inaugurating the Blue Network, a link of six canals of two city corporations of Dhaka at Baoniya today (Sunday).
The network will link six canals of Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) and Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) after freeing them from encroachers and pollution.
The canals are- Baunia canal, Rupnagar canal, Begunbari canal, Manda canal, Kalunagar canal and Karail lake which have a total length of 23.66 kilometers.
A committee will be formed with local people in every two kilometers of the canal to monitor the disposal of the household wastes,” she said.
Rezwana said the six canals will be freed from grabbers and pollution before the next monsoon, and steps would be taken within a very short time for freeing four more canals from pollution and illegal grabbers.
Work for revival of nine more canals will begin before the arrival of the monsoon, she said, adding that a total of 19 canals would be made free from pollution and encroachment within this year.
A master plan will be prepared for recovery of the canals, and this plan will be completed ahead of the next budget, she said, hoping that financial allocation will be available in the next budget to accomplish the task.
The adviser said her ministry has a plan to bring the canal-side lands under gardening and canal areas under fisheries.
“We will try to restore life of the canals,” she said, adding city dwellers must be involved with this initiative.
The adviser urged the local people to raise their voice to save the canals and actively take part in the government drive for recovery of the canals.
Chief Waste Management Officer of Dhaka North City Corporation Captain Mohammad Fida Hasan gave a presentation on the canals of Dhaka.
Adviser for housing and public works and industry Adilur Rahman, adviser for local government, rural development, and cooperatives Asif Mahmud Swajib Bhuiyan, attended the function as special guests.
Water Resources secretary Nazmul Ahsan, Environment secretary Dr Farhina Ahmed and Public Works secretary M Hamidur Rahman Khan, Local Government secretary M Nizam Uddin, DNCC administrator and additional secretary M Mahmudul Hasan spoke, among others.
The tasks for freeing the canal from pollution and encroachment are being implemented with the participation of the ministries of Local Government, Water Resources, Environment, Housing and Public Works, Dhaka district administration, DNCC and DSCC, Rajdhani Unnayan Kartipakhya (RAJUK), Dhaka WASA, River and Delta Resource Center (RDRC), Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon (BAPA), Green Voice, WBBT, Bangladesh Police, Bangladesh Army, Department of Environment (DoE) and Water Development Board.