Drive evicts some but many others encroach upon Mohammadpur canal

• Nabinagar Housing Ltd, Mohammadia Housing Ltd, and Gemcon City Ltd encroach on Ramchandrapur Canal in six places
• At least 20 multi-storey buildings built on canal banks, reducing width and water flow
• Influential individuals linked to illegal encroachment on the canal
• Previously evicted areas have been reoccupied
• Residential, commercial buildings, mosques, cemetery, rickshaw garages occupy parts of the canal

In a three-day eviction drive starting Thursday, the Dhaka North City Corporation demolished Sadeeq Agro farm and several other establishments that had illegally occupied the Ramchandrapur Canal and adjacent road in Mohammadpur.

However, Nabinagar Housing Ltd, Mohammadia Housing Ltd, and Gemcon City Ltd, which are also encroaching upon the canal, remain untouched.

According to the National River Conservation Commission, these housing estates encroach on Ramchandrapur Canal in six places.

Additionally, the canal was further encroached upon by the construction of a mosque in one place and a Christian cemetery in another.

The Ramchandrapur Canal, originating in Mohammadpur’s Ramchandrapur and flowing into the Buriganga River, is currently on the verge of death due to encroachment and pollution. Haphazardly built culverts obstruct the flow of the canal in many places.

The Dhaka North City Corporation has set up 93 boundary pillars according to Cadastral Survey (CS) lines to determine the boundary of the canal.

Dhaka North began dredging and cleaning the canal on 18 February 2022, with the excavation work lasting for about 40 days.

After the renovation, Dhaka North City Mayor Md Atiqul Islam said that he would form a special team to keep the canal clean and install CCTV to monitor it. He also promised 20 licensed boats for the transport convenience of the locals.

However, many of the plans and promises have not been implemented. Since then, the canal has been further occupied by landgrabbers in more areas.

Mayor Atiqul told TBS, “We will gradually demolish all illegal structures on Dhaka’s canals. It will take some time to erase 50 years of encroachment. We are not getting the amount of money needed to rescue the canals. We are trying our best to restore the flow of the canals with our own funds. I want the encroachers to leave on their own.”

Meanwhile, urban planning experts said that seasonal eviction drives or waste cleaning will not be enough to restore the flow of the canal and make it encroachment-free. Dhaka’s canals cannot be saved without regular monitoring.

Jahangirnagar University’s Urban and Regional Planning Department Professor Dr Akter Mahmud told The Business Standard, “The illegal occupation of the canals must be evicted by any means necessary to keep the canals flowing. Otherwise, it will not be possible to develop Dhaka’s drainage system. In addition, the deteriorating state of Dhaka’s environment will continue to worsen.”

Current encroachment situation

According to Dhaka North City Corporation, the Ramchandrapur Canal’s width is never less than 18 metres according to CS and revisional survey maps.

In some areas, it was even wider than 50 metres. However, due to encroachers on both sides, large parts of the canal have disappeared entirely.

A multi-storey building named Royal Lakeview Tower-5 is being constructed on Nabinagar Housing’s Road No 15, encroaching upon a portion of the canal. The construction of this building has involved encroaching upon a significant portion of the canal.

Apart from Bosila’s road and the Royal Lakeview building, at least 20 other locations along the 3.1-kilometre canal have been encroached upon by various housing projects, private establishments, and road constructions.

A recent survey revealed that at least 20 multi-storey buildings have been constructed along the banks of the canal, encroaching upon varying amounts of land.

Although Dhaka North City has demolished parts of 10 multi-storey buildings and several temporary structures during recent drives, the remaining parts of the buildings are still on the canal ground.

A significant portion of a 10-storey building belonging to Shopnodhora Housing falls within the canal and its banks. Construction on the building is currently ongoing.

Another multi-storey building has been constructed along the banks of the canal at the end of Road No 7 of Shopnodhora Housing Estate in Bosila. A building under construction is located opposite it. Both of these buildings have been built by encroaching upon parts of the Ramchandrapur Canal.

A portion of House No 41/1 of Shajalal Housing also falls within the canal. A house on Road No 2 of Future Town also encroaches upon the canal.

At least three places along the canal have been encroached upon by rickshaw garages. In two other locations, one-story buildings have been erected and rented out as shops.

During the eviction drive in early 2022, Dhaka North demolished an illegally constructed truck terminal in the Lautola section of the canal. However, the area has been reoccupied by land grabbers.

On 23 January, Dhaka North evicted another illegal encroachment in the area and demolished a portion of a 10-story building under construction. However, debris from the demolition now obstructs the flow of the canal.