Dhaka South starts drive to reclaim Shyampur canal

The Dhaka South City Corporation started an eviction drive to recover the occupied portion of Shyampur canal in the capital on Sunday.

To recover the 100-foot canal, which has come down to eight feet due to illegal encroachment, Dhaka South authorities have started the drive from the Boubazar part of the canal.

Dhaka South Executive Magistrates AH Irfan Uddin Ahmed and Tanzila Kabir Trapa led the five-hour-long drive.

During the drive, the Dhaka South authorities demolished a five-story building and 20 one-story houses and shops built illegally within the canal's boundaries.

Regarding the drive, AH Irfan Uddin Ahmed said, "We have demarcated the canal boundary to reduce water-logging in the city. Illegal structures built within the demarcated area are being evicted."

Dhaka South Chief Property Officer Russell Sabrin said surveyors of the Bangladesh Water Development Board, Dhaka WASA, Dhaka District Administration and Dhaka South have jointly demarcated the rivers and canals in the capital.

According to the survey, the width of the canal is supposed to be 100 feet from where it starts but at present, the canal is only eight feet wide. So, the authorities are conducting the drive to recover the full width of the canal.

At a spot auction, the wreckage of the evicted goods was sold for Tk42,000 which will be deposited to the Dhaka South fund.

Besides, one person was fined Tk500 for obstructing the authorities to perform government duties and another was fined Tk1,000 for not wearing a face mask.