Dhaka City’s canals are once again littered with garbage
Within a year, the canals of Dhaka South City Corporation have returned to their old appearance. Garbage piles are completely discolored.
These canals are supposed to play a major role in de-watering, but the normal flow of water is blocked due to accumulation of garbage. City dwellers suffer due to water accumulation during light rains before the monsoon arrives.
According to the waste management department of Dhaka South City Corporation, at the end of July last year, Kajala Canal, Matuail Cemetery Canal, Mridha Bari Canal, Shyampur Canal were cleaned from the front end of the 24 feet road to Mohammadi Bridge.
Shyampur Canal from 24 feet road front ends to Battala, Shajahanpur Jheel to Basabo Kadamtala Shuknagar Canal, Manda Canal from Shuknagar to Shapla Bridge to Amin Mohammad Bridge, Dogair Journalist Bari Canal from Staff Quarters, Sukhnagar-Nandipara-Trimohani (Jirani) Canal and Zia Special clean-up activities are carried out in Sarani Canal. But within a year, the canals are once again full of human waste.
9 canals of South City Corporation are more or less piles of garbage. Everything from household waste to shop waste is dumped into these canals.
Kajla Canal falls towards Ward No. 63 of South City Corporation. The water flow in this canal is blocked due to piles of dirt. Recently due to the impact of Cyclone Rimal, the rains in the capital led to waterlogging in the area. A week after the cyclone, the area was still underwater. Because there is no normal way of water flow here.
Polythene, plastic, broken chairs, torn clothes, mattresses, bamboo mats are not floating in that canal. The same is the case with Matuail and Mridha Bari canals. People have to hold their noses to the smell of dirt while passing by this canal.
Habib, a local resident, said that household waste directly fell into the canal water. The water flow of the canal is stopped due to the accumulation of garbage. For which people have to hold their nose while walking through the smell of sewage and urine.
The condition of Basabo Kadamtala Shuknagar Canal is also deplorable. Dead dogs in foul-smelling sewage, polythene-plastics in the canal. Resident Monirul said that a dog died in a car accident here a few days ago.
It was lying down for two days; the people of the city corporation did not take it. Later some people here somehow pushed it into the canal. It is lying there because there is no current in the canal. That’s why the smell is spreading around.
Looking at the Shyampur canal and the Jirani canal running over Nandipara, there is no way to understand whether these two canals are garbage dumps. Manda Canal looks like a green field from a distance.
However, the South City Corporation has already started the restoration work of Shyampur, Jirani, Manda and Kalunagar canals. But there is doubt whether he will be able to complete this work on time.
Rahman, a resident of Nandipara, said, I heard that the city corporation has started the campaign to renovate the canal and free it from encroachment. But meanwhile I haven’t seen any work yet. I am in doubt whether the canal can be freed from encroachment.
Aktar Mahmud, Professor of Urban and Regional Planning Department of Jahangirnagar University, thinks that it is necessary to create awareness among the common people so that they do not throw any kind of garbage in the canal or water flow.
He said there are various ways to make people aware. If that doesn’t work, then it is important to increase awareness even if punishment or fine is arranged if necessary. By doing this they can enjoy the benefits themselves. Salim Mridha, inspector of the Dhaka South City Corporation’s cleanliness, said that the garbage thrown by the public and the garbage from the sewage line are entangled.
“But we repeatedly forbid. Still no one is listening to us. We have banned miking so as not to throw dirt into the sewerage line or canal. Yet no one listened to us,” he added.
About garbage dumping in Kajala canal, Shafiqul Islam Khan, Dhaka South City Corporation Ward Councilor No. 63, said, “People from the city corporation go to aboevery house for garbage. But the residents here throw their garbage into the canal just to avoid paying the garbage bill of 100 rupees.”
“They do not listen to us despite our repeated requests. The city corporation is trying its best to keep the canal clean. But it is not possible if the people do not cooperate.
DSCC Mayor himself came and requested the residents not to throw garbage in the canal. But no one listened. Dedar is still littering. However, the results are suffering. Even after a week of storms, there is waterlogging here,”he described.
Meanwhile, Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) has started implementation of the project at a cost of Tk. 8.987 billion to create the aesthetic environment of Manda and Kalungar canals, including Shyampur and Jirani canals, which were removed in some parts last year. Out of this, 397 crores will be spent on the Manda canal of 8.7 km length.
Barrister Sheikh Fazle Noor Tapas, Mayor of Dhaka South City Corporation, told a press conference that these four canals will be restored and modernized by June next year.
