Taposh orders demolition of high-rise structures on old Buriganga channel

Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) Mayor, Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh, on Wednesday ordered the demolition of  part of a 10-storeyed building, walls, and other structures built on the Old Buriganga Channel.

He gave the directives on a surprise visit to the boundary determination work on the Old Buriganga channel, jointly conducted by the DSCC, the Water

Development Board, and the Dhaka District Administration, at the Kalunagar Sluicegate and adjacent areas.

Mayor Taposh expressed surprise about a shear wall of a 10-storeyed building that was constructed on the canal. 

"No shear wall should be there on the canal," he said, asking that it be demolished immediately. 

During the visit, Mayor Taposh asked about the width of the sluice gates which officials told him was 315 feet wide.  

The mayor asked officials concerned to evict all illegal occupants from within the canal's boundaries.

The mayor also said re-excavation of the old channel of the Buriganga will proceed in accordance with the CS Map.

The project will end 14 February 2023, according to DSCC documents, and its estimated cost is Tk 74.10 crore.

DSCC authorities will also repair the sluice gates to manage increased water flow during the monsoon season.

Last year, a joint team of Dhaka district administration and the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority, conducted an eviction drive on the Buriganga's old channel, following a High Court order to evict 74 illegal structures that were killing the channel.

However, many tall structures illegally built on it, remained even after the drive.