Ridding Ashkona of waterlogging: DNCC doing work on city water retention canal

Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) is now excavating a water retention canal from Ashkona to Kha Para near Khilkhet as no other agency is ready to do the job.

The canal, which belongs to the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB), will help rid Ashkona, Uttarkhan and Dakkhinkhan of waterlogging problem.

DNCC mayor Atiqul Islam visited the area on Thursday and declared to connect the retention canal with the AD-8 canal project at Kha Para.

Being implemented by Bangladesh Army, the canal is meant to drain out storm water of Nikunja, Cantonment and Airport areas into the Balu river.

Mayor Atiq will inaugurate the Tk 15-million project today (Saturday).

In March 2019, he initiated to free Ashkona, Uttarkhan and Dakkhinkhan of permanent waterlogging, caused mainly by landfill and sludge, through a retention canal.

Multiple housing companies and local individuals are responsible for such environmentally disastrous activities.

But neither CAAB nor Dhaka WASA executed the decision to excavate the retention canal, thus putting the local residents in peril for the past 15 months.

Talking to the FE, DNCC chief engineer Brig Gen Amirul Islam said there is no drainage system in Ashkona, Uttarkhan and Dakkhinkhan areas.

Floodplains have been filled up by Ashiyan City and others hindering natural flow of sewerage, storm water and kitchen water up to the Balu.

"If we can connect the retention canal from ring culvert at Ashkona with AD-8 canal project, residents of the newly-included wards will be free from year-long waterlogging," Mr Islam said.

"We have to excavate 485 metres and remove 27,000 cubic metres of soil. We need to clean sludge of the rest bypassing the CAAB graveyard," he added.

Mr Islam said CAAB did not excavate the canal on grounds of fund crunch and DWASA on account that it is not declared as a canal.

Therefore, the mayor has to take the onus of excavating the canal for the citizens' benefit, he mentioned.

Planner Ashraful Islam said random urbanisation has taken place in the city's eastern fringe, filling up floodplains and obstructing the normal flow of water.

Such mindless acts at various points create waterlogging in the metropolis, he added.

The only way to save the city from waterlogging is to revive the natural or artificial water retention canal network shown in the 1995 structural plan.

The AD-8 canal, which is opposite Le Meridien, will drain out storm water of surrounding areas through police housing project via Boalia canal up to Balu.

It is part of the two 100-feet canals developed along the 300-feet road.

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