B'baria Town Canal Beautification
Project work stalled as encroachers not evicted
The beautification project-work (phase-two) on the 4.8-kilometre-long canal flowing across Brahmanbaria town has come to a halt, as the local municipality authorities are yet to demark the canal and evict the encroachers from both the banks.
Tk 7 crore project on both the banks of the canal was supposed to be complete in March this year in two phases after the municipality authorities started the project in 2008.
According to project design, a 1.5 metre wide footpath, a flood protection wall, a huge sitting arrangement including gardening and tree plantation, two landing stages and at least 13 staircases were supposed to be constructed at different points of the canal to facilitate anchoring the boats and using the water.
"Municipal authorities started the project without evicting any illegal structures from Kazipara to Poirtala on the both banks of the canal. Rather, they completed the earth filling work of the banks from Tufayel Azam Bridge point to Moulovi Hati," said Kazi Safi Uddin of Kazipara area.
During the last caretaker government, the surveyor of Brahmanbaria Zila Parishad marked all illegal structures with red colour. Later on, the authorities of Brahmanbaria municipality ignoring the said step started the reconstruction work according to existing flow of the canal, Safi Uddin added.
"The authorities did not even re-excavate the bed of the canal at all. They only filled the banks with sand from the nearby Titas River. As a result, the width and depth of the canal has become reduced," said Matin Ahamed of Jail Road area.
Different organisations including Sacheton Nagorik Committee and Paribesh Bachao Andolan urged the authorities to save the canal. They also warned that the canal would die if the real structure is changed. The authorities are yet to pay heed to this issue, said Prof Muklesur Rahman Khan, convener of Sacheton Nagorik Committee.
According to a latest survey report done by the engineering section of Brahmanbaria municipality, now the width of the cannel is only between 17 metres and 29 metres although actual width is in between about 39.5 metres and about 19.7 metres.
The breadth of the canal has now come down below 26 metres by the top side while 10 metres by bottom side or at the canal bed.
On condition of anonymity, one engineer of Brahmanbaria municipality said illegal structures constructed on the banks of the canal and demarcation are the main barrier against the completion of the work.
When contacted, Brahmanbaria municipality Mayor Md Hafizur Rahman Mulla Kochi said they could not start the project work in time as several organisations in the town stood against it showing wrong excuses.
"Now the beatification project (second phase) remains stalled because the canal is yet to be demarcated. We hope to start work to complete work of the project after the rainy season," the mayor said.
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