Huge heaps of garbage, composed of polyethene and fabric scraps from nearby factories, were dumped on the 13-kilometer-long Subhadda canal at Keraniganj. In many places, the canal has been filled with water hyacinths. In some areas, the polyethene layer is so thick that people can walk through the canal without getting their feet wet. Besides local grabbers, the Zila Parishad had also built a market by grabbing the canal’s land in the Aganagar area, the starting point of the canal.
One end of the Subhadda canal starts from the Buriganga at Aganagar and the other end falls in the Dhaleswari at Mollarhat. The canal’s width is 20 metres at best. However, at present, huge piles of scrap fabrics have clogged its connectivity at Aganagar point due to the surrounding garment factories. Locals said they used to sail to the Dheleswari through the canal from the Buriganga. Big boats transported goods using this route.
The union parishad is not equipped to handle the sheer amount of garbage produced by households and garment factories. So, the garbage eventually ends up in the canal. Local administration said they will launch a drive to knock down illegal structures very soon. After polluting and occupying the canals due to negligence of local administration, water development board, environment ministry, and other relevant authorities, now the government is planning to take a project worth Tk 1,055 crore to revamp the canal using the people’s exchequer.
The project includes dredging and cleaning up garbage from the canal and constructing bridges, side roads, and dustbins. Once the excavated Subhadda canal connects with Buriganga and Dhaleswari Rivers, it can play an important role in establishing a water corridor for business and passenger transportation in this route.
Needless to say, the mindless destruction of the water bodies and open spaces is counter-productive. The government must mobilise social power to protect rivers, canals and other water bodies from encroachment. Firm political commitments and their proper execution with social accountability tools can protect our ecosystem.
