A joint team of Dhaka Wasa and district administration yesterday resumed their eviction drive to recover Kalyanpur Ka Khal (canal) from encroachers.
Local lawmaker Aslamul Haq, who opposed a scheduled eviction drive of the authority in the area on October 31, assisted the team in conducting the drive and spent over one hour with them.
“I inaugurated the drive on November 3 and now we all including me, local people, Wasa and district administration will complete the drive,” said the lawmaker.
The structures, which occupied a portion of the canal illegally, came under the drive, he said adding that the housing authority, which sold the land to the beneficiaries, did not disclose anything about the canal to them.
“I will take initiative to return money or land to the affected people from Pisciculture Housing which sold land to them,” he said.
Aslamul conducted an eviction drive on November 3 to “recover” a section of the canal in the capital’s Mirpur with the district administration completely in the dark.
The lawmaker, however, denied the allegation of obstructing the drive on that day.
The joint team, led by executive magistrates Nasir Uddin and Alid Mainul of Wasa and district administration respectively, began the drive at about 10:00 am, which continued till the afternoon.
The team comprising around 70 day-labourers knocked down at least 13 makeshift structures built illegally on the south alignment of the canal.
The canal stretches from Mirpur main road (Gabtoli) to Kalyanpur sluice gate.
The drive was being conducted at the south side of the Kalyanpur Ka Khal, Aslamul said adding that it will start at the northern part of the canal after the completion of a survey by the district administration.
He said the northern part is a proposed site for a canal, which was recommend in 1992 after an occurrence of waterlogging in the area and the district administration will now find out how mach land will have to be acquired to dig the canal.
After the assessment, the authorities concerned will start the drive, said Aslamul, also a member of the taskforce of the government formed to save rivers and canals of Dhaka city.
At the middle of yesterday’s drive, Aslamul became angry with Wasa officials, as they did not bring any electrician with them. The drive was stalled for about half an hour due to the delayed arrival of Wasa surveyor at noon.
Alid Mainul, executive magistrate of Dhaka district administration, said they knocked down 13 illegal structures.
Nasir Uddin, executive magistrate of Wasa, said the involvement of the lawmaker during the drive made their work easier.
After completing the drive, Wasa will start excavation work as soon as possible, he added.
Md Abu Salam, owner of Shah Ali Poultry, got some time from the lawmaker on request to shift his belongings from an illegal portion of land.
The canal was filled up by Pisciculture Housing around 10 years back, he said adding the housing authority also informed the plot owners and local people that a road will be built by the government through the land.
Manika Sarkar purchased 3 kathas of land at the canal site for Tk 7.5 lakh in 1998 from Pisciculture Housing. She had no idea that there was a canal there, as the housing authorities did not disclose it.
Manika and her family met with the lawmaker during the drive and the lawmaker gave her assurance of doing everything to bring back her money or land from the housing authority.
“I have received two and a quarter kathas out of 3 kathas from the housing company. I had to sacrifice the rest for the construction of a road,” said Manika.
She said she lost one more katha following the drive.
