LGRD Minister Md Tajul Islam on Tuesday said all canals in Dhaka city will be freed from illegal encroachment to help ease waterlogging and enhance its beauty. “If we can free the canals from illegal encroachment, it will help ease waterlogging problems in the city,” he told reporters after inspecting the eviction of the illegal establishments at Ramchandrapur canal in the Basila area of Mohammadpur. He said those who invested huge money in illegally building these establishments occupying government land will be affected. But they should have known better, he said adding this will send a message against future illegal encroachment. Read: NCC election deemed free and fair by international community: LGRD Minister He said the government won’t tolerate any further illegal occupation of government land. The government has taken a project to launch water transports after linking canals in the city and the work to connect canals will start soon, said Tajul adding “We should bring back the heritage of Dhaka city.”

All the illegal occupants over each canal in the capital city will be evicted within the tenure of this government to save people from waterlogging. “Necessary action will be taken as per the law, no matter how powerful the occupiers are…projects will be taken to save the canals,” Minister of Local Government and Rural Development (LGRD) Muhammad Tajul Islam told UNB. READ:13 illegally occupied canals to be recovered: DNCC Mayor The minister believes if the canals are freed up, it would be possible to build multiple Hatirjheel-like large canal projects in the city. Walkways could be built on both sides of the canals. Large establishments have been built over the canals by the occupiers making fake documents and papers. Both the north and the south city corporations have taken over the control of the canals from WASA and renovation works have already begun, he said. The minister added that 170 acres of canal areas, out of 173 acres, in Kalyanpur have been encroached. All the establishments in the canal areas, including that of Kalyanpur, will be evicted soon. According to the Dhaka Deputy Commissioner’s record, there are 50 canals, locally called Khal, in the Dhaka metropolitan areas. The large canals include Baishteki in North Senpara; Sanbadik khal in North Senpara Parbata; Digun khal in Goran Chatbari of Mirpur; Gabtali Khal that flows to the Turag River; Rupnagar Khal in Arambagh; Kalyanpur Khal, Kalyanpur main and Kalyanpur partial in Kalyanpur area; Bawnia Khal and Diabari Khal in Uttara. Besides there are small canals like Abdullahpur Khal in Bailjuli Ranavola mouza; Ramchandra Khal in  Ramchandrapur mouza; Katasur khal in Katasur mouza; Rajabazar Khal in Rajabazar mouza; Begunbari Khal in Boro Maghbazar mouza; Mohakhali Khal in Tejgaon industrial mouza; Meradia-Gazaria Khal in Ulun Meradia mouza; Gullar Khal in Baddar North Meradia mouza; Gulshan lake in Gulshan residential area mouza; Bhatara Khal and Sutivhola Khal of Bhatara mouza; Dumni Khal of Dumni mouza; Talna Khal of Talna mouza; Baothat Khal in Baothat mouza; Amaiya Khal in Gobindpur mouza; Nirnichak Khal in  Nirnichak mouza; Bhaturia Khal in Bhaturia mouza; Small Palasia Khal in the small Palasia mouza; Palashia canal in Palasia mouza, and Chamurkhan Khal in Chamurkhan mouza.

Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (DWasa) has handed the responsibility of drainage system management and canals in Dhaka to the city corporations to solve the waterlogging woes.

The two Dhaka corporations will be entrusted with the responsibility of maintaining the city's canals by January next year,