Staff Correspondent

State Minister for Local Government , Rural Development and Cooperatives Mir Shahe Alam has said that the canals, lakes and reservoirs of the capital are very important not only for the environment but also for sustainable water management of the city and alleviating waterlogging. He said that keeping in mind the upcoming monsoon season, the canals should be cleaned quickly and made suitable for rainwater flow. He also assured that the ministry will provide necessary financial support, manpower recruitment and other administrative assistance for this purpose.

The State Minister made these remarks while addressing the chief guest at a discussion meeting held on Wednesday at the meeting room of the Local Government Division at the Secretariat to mark the boundaries of all canals under the jurisdiction of Dhaka North and South City Corporations.

He said that to restore Dhaka's canals and resolve waterlogging, it is necessary to first determine the correct boundaries. He said that although it is challenging to start work on all the canals simultaneously due to differences in the boundaries of the canals depending on the map and the involvement of multiple organizations, it is possible to implement it through a coordinated initiative.

The meeting discussed in detail the progress of the ongoing activities to dig, restore and maintain normal water flow in the capital, the existing obstacles and the things to be done. After the discussion, it was decided that two separate committees will be formed under the supervision of Dhaka North and South City Corporations to complete the work of demarcating the canals. These committees will include representatives of Dhaka North and South City Corporations, Rajuk, Dhaka District Administration, Bangladesh Army Engineering Brigade and all relevant organizations.