Mirpur is one of the most important areas of the capital. There are several canals and reservoirs throughout Mirpur. Joynagar, Baishteki and Baunia canals flow through Mirpur-13 and 14. Boats used to ply through these canals but now it is only a memory. Every year the canals are cleaned by the city corporation, but due to the local people throwing garbage, at the end of the day, they again turn into garbage dump.
The residents have expressed their anger saying that the city corporation is negligent in cleaning the canal. During the rainy season, the residents of Jayanagar, Baishteki and Baunia canals have to suffer due to the accumulation of water.
According to city planners, the city corporation must take proper planning in cleaning and saving canals. They say that the garbage lifted from the canal is polluted, it should be kept in a temporary place instead of being kept on the banks of the canal and in the locality. People should be encouraged and held accountable for not throwing garbage in canals and everything should be brought under monitoring.
Jayanagar canal starts from the culvert area of Mirpur-14 and joins with Baishteki and Baunia canals of Mirpur-13. On the other hand, Baishteki canal is connected with Baunia canal through Paris Road of Mirpur-13 and Palashnagar. And Baunia canal starts from Matikata Road and joins Baishteki and Jayanagar canals.
Once upon a time ferry boats used to ply through Jayanagar, Baishteki and Baunia canals. But, over time, the canal has been occupied by buildings. As a result, the width of the canal has started to decrease slowly. Later people started dumping garbage in the canals. The canals have turned into garbage heaps. Even a little rain causes water to rise on the roads and there is no drainage system due to garbage in the canals.
Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) announced the rescue and cleans the canal. After the announcement, Baishteki, Jayanagar canals were cleared of garbage but Baunia canal was not. Water flow has been activated in Baishteki and Jayanagar canals due to the cleaning of canals by the City Corporation. Within a few months of the cleanup, parts of the canals have once again turned into heaps of garbage and garbage. However, Dhaka North City Corporation has already started the work of rescuing and cleaning various canals.
It was found that while some parts of Baishteki, Jayanagar and Baunia canals of Mirpur-13 and 14 were clean, most of them were filled with rubbish. The canals are not wide enough at different places. A huge building has been built along the banks of the canal. The smell of dirty canal water is wafting.
Mostafizur Rahman, a local resident of Mirpur-13 Bhasantek area, told Barta24.com that in 2018, Joynagar, Baishteki and Baunia canals were cleaned well. There was no flooding in the area then. Later, the canals were filled with garbage due to careless neglect. As a result, even a little rain causes flooding in the area. During the monsoon season, there is waist-deep water in the area.
He also said that the city corporation had cleaned the canals a few months ago. But, they left the garbage lifted from the canal in the canal. Due to this, the garbage fell into the canal again. We do not want such nominal canal cleaning by the City Corporation; We want to save the canal directly.
Another resident named Mahfuz said that once ferry boats used to travel through these canals. Now the boat movement is a distant thing; not even water. During the rainy season, water actually rises in our house. We have to live very hard. We cannot live in the stench of dirty canal water. We want a permanent solution by saving this canal.
The president of Bangladesh Institute of Planners (BIP) and city planner Dr. Adil Muhammad Khan told Barta24.com that the city corporation is doing various canal rescue activities. However, even if the corporation rescues or cleans the canal, the waste returns to the canal again. The main reason for this is that the City Corporation leaves the garbage on the bank of the canal. The city corporation should hold those responsible for littering.
He said that the city corporation should encourage people and form communities so that people do not throw garbage. But, this activity of City Corporation is completely absent. Since such initiatives are very limited, those who are responsible for keeping the canals clean do not play much role. Until and unless the ward councilor is held responsible for motivating people and building community, the corporation will not get any good results even if it cleans up again and again. The City Corporation should bring everything under control.
He also said that these canals must be rescued. The City Corporation has to recover all the illegally encroached areas of the canal. If the rescue operation involves the community, it will be sustainable.
DNCC Chief Executive Officer Mir Khairul Alam told Barta24.com that Baishteki, Jayanagar and Baunia canals are under our control. Residents around the canal are regularly throwing garbage in the canal after the City Corporation cleans it. We are urging the residents not to throw garbage in the canal.
In reply to the question that due to the reduction in the width of the canal, the flow of water is being disturbed and what is the way out of it, he said, with the help of the army, we are working to mark the boundary of the canal and delineate the boundary. After recovering we will conduct an evacuation operation. The canals will be developed after the evacuation operation. We are continuing these in phases.