Posted on February 6, 2025
- Major renovation program targets 19 canals across Dhaka
- Plan includes cleaning, demarcation, waste management improvements
- Experts stress coordination, long-term sustainability
Dhaka’s beleaguered canals, long choked by encroachment and pollution, are set for a major revival as the government and city corporations launch a renewed canal renovation program targeting 19 canals across the capital.
The initiative, which began on Sunday with the first phase focusing on six canals, aims to restore 125 kilometres of waterways over the next year.
However, residents remain sceptical given past failures, where canal reclamation efforts were overshadowed by road construction, housing projects, and unchecked urban sprawl.
Phase one targets six canals
Despite numerous past projects to rejuvenate Dhaka’s canals, little progress has been visible.
The Dhaka North and South City Corporations (DNCC and DSCC) have largely limited their efforts to periodic waste cleaning, while canals continued to vanish under concrete.
This time, however, advisers from key ministries, city officials, and urban experts insist the program will succeed due to unprecedented inter-agency collaboration and community involvement.
The first phase covers 23.66 kilometres across six canals:
DNCC area: Baunia Canal (7.19km), Rupnagar Canal (3.5km), Begunbari Canal (1.69km), and Karail Lake (2.45km).
DSCC area: Manda Canal (4.37km) and Kalunagar Canal (4.46km).
Subsequent phases will renovate 13 additional canals, including Boalia, Dumni, Shyampur, and Satarkul.
DNCC Administrator Md Mahmudul Hasan vowed to “revive the Blue Network” by reclaiming and decontaminating canals, blaming unplanned urbanization and weak enforcement for Dhaka’s declining livability.
“DNCC is ready to build a sustainable city for future generations,” he said.
Multi-ministry collaboration
For the first time, four ministries – Local Government, Environment, Water Resources, and Housing and Public Works – are jointly overseeing the project.
They are supported by Dhaka Wasa, Rajuk, the district administration, NGOs like BAPA and Green Voice, and the Bangladesh Army.
The plan includes demarcating canal boundaries, cleaning polluted water, conserving banks, and integrating waste management and drainage systems.
Syeda Rizwana Hasan, adviser for the environment and water resources ministries, emphasized community participation to prevent re-encroachment.
“We’ll form local committees every two kilometres to monitor waste disposal and ensure no garbage is dumped into canals,” she said.
The program also aims to reintroduce greenery and aquaculture along banks, with plans to distribute seeds, fertilizers, and saplings to local landowners for cultivation.
Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyain, adviser for the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives, as well as the Ministry of Youth and Sports, stressed that the “Blue Network” initiative seeks to balance environmental, economic, and social development.
He highlighted the critical situation in Dhaka, saying: “Dhaka has become uninhabitable due to prolonged unplanned urbanization.”
Adilur Rahman, adviser for the Ministry of Housing and Public Works, emphasized the need for improvement in essential urban infrastructure, saying: “Special attention will be paid to waste management and the drainage system.”
Experts, residents await results
Mohammad Ejaz, chairman of the River and Delta Research Centre (RDRC), noted the plan’s scope contrasts with past isolated efforts.
“This time, coordination among ministries, district administration, and locals is key. Handing reclaimed canals to landowners for cultivation could prevent reoccupation,” he said.
The project faces uphill battles: Dhaka’s canals have historically been victims of bureaucratic inertia and political interference.
While officials aim to complete all 19 canals within a year, monsoon rains and entrenched encroachers pose risks.
DNCC and DSCC must also address systemic issues – Dhaka Wasa handed over 26 canals and 385km of drainage networks to the city corporations in 2020, yet waterlogging persists.
For Dhaka’s residents, the proof will lie in execution.
“We’ve heard promises before. This time, actions must speak louder,” said a local from Karail, where the lake remains a dumping ground.
As the first excavators dig into Baunia Canal, the city holds its breath, hoping this ambitious blueprint can finally restore its lifelines.
