Dhaka North City Corporation Mayor Atiqul Islam said on different occasions that one will be able to travel by boat from canals to rivers.
However, the reality is that one can cross four canals at DNCC on foot. Due to accumulation of garbage, water flow in four more canals has stopped.
Last year, the Mayor took the initiative to get these canals excavated. Only then the flow of water in the canals was restored. But later there was no monitoring. As a result, garbage has accumulated in the canals instead of water.
Abu Siam Khan, who lives near Rupnagar canal, said that if the garbage in the canal is not cleaned now, people will face problems.
There are 29 small and big canals in DNCC area. There is a reservoir in Kalyanpur nearby. Prothom Alo correspondent visited 13 canals and one reservoir on 12, 13 and 14 March. People can cross most of these four canals on foot. These four canals are Rupnagar Canal, Digun Canal (Eastern House of Pallabi), Journalist Colony Canal (Pallabi) and Kalyanpur Main Canal (Gabatali).
Garbage has accumulated in the canals of Katasur, Ramchandrapur and Kalyanpur. Five canals are in better condition. These canals are Godakhali Canal, Paris Road Canal, Baunia Canal, Ibrahimpur Canal and Kalyanpur Kha Canal. But the water of these canals is black and smelly. Almost the entire reservoir of Kalyanpur is covered with water hyacinth.
City planners fear that various areas of Dhaka North City Corporation may face waterlogging if there are heavy rains in the next rainy season.
He said that once there was heavy rain, there was waterlogging in various areas under Dhaka South City Corporation.