Like many other canals in the capital, the Devdholai canal has also fallen prey to the greed of encroachers and inconsiderate dumping of household wastes while the authorities concerned, denying the allegations, have claimed that the canal still has flow of water.
Encroachers have eaten up a significant part of the canal, leaving a small space in the Jatrabari area, locals have alleged.
They said that the encroachment has been so massive that it is very difficult to locate the existence of the Devdholai canal which is also known as ‘Kajlar canal’ to the residents of that area.
The Devdholai canal starts close to Mill Barrack Gendaria and passes through Tipu Sultan Road, Jatrabari area and merges with Jirani canal and Norai canal at Rampura which ultimately is connected with Balu River while another part of the canal is also connected with River Buriganga at Sayedabad.
Once the canal was as long as a river but with the passage of time some miscreants filled up canal and grabbed it in whichever way they could, said Taher Beg, a resident of North Jatrabari.
He said once his forefathers used cross the canal by boat and the water was crystal clear but the situation just reversed within 10-15 years.
The canal land at present is a completely a developed area as schools, madrassahs, markets, shops, brick built and half-brick buildings have been erected on the canal.
It is difficult to locate the flowing part of the canal as a new town has been built on it.
Rickshaw garage, dispensary, eateries, tea stalls, training institute have been built on Shahid Muzaffar Road on the canal.
A kitchen market named ‘Goriber Bazaar’ was also built on the canal where there was a signboard of canal authorities.
During a visit, household sewage was seen to be channelled into the canal and people were seen dumping garbage into the canal.
A salesman Topu of Rahima Traders at Maddhapara of Jatrabari said, ‘The canal is no more. Gradually people filled up portions of the canal and thus the canal turned into a new town.’
He said that the government should take stern action against whoever is involved in the encroachment of the canals.
Environmentalist and chairman of Institute of Water and Environment M Enamul Haque told new Age the canal was not dead, rather it was killed by a group of people with the help of local influential.
He alleged that the government spent crores of taka in the name of canal reclamation which is just an eyewash.
Like locals, he also blamed the Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority for not overseeing the development and maintenance of the city canals.
According to DWASA record of May 2013, Devdholai canal is 2000 meter long and 9-15 meter wide.
It said encroachers grabbed some parts of the canal, Local Government and Engineering Division constructed road in some parts, leaving a drain-like space for the water to flow.
DWASA superintendent engineer Md Zaki Mostafa Chowdhury told New Age that they had no information about encroachment on the Devdholai canal.
He said that people need to be more cautious about dump rubbish in nearby water bodies.
-With New Age input
