Bangladesh

Dhaka’s lost canals: Once flowing, now forgotten

Dhaka lost canals history

At first glance, Dayaganj in the old part of Dhaka appears to be a typical city street scene.

Beneath a railway bridge, cars and rickshaws jostle for space, and vendors ply their wares.

Yet, underneath the road lies a forgotten history.

In the 1970s, this very spot was home to a thriving canal. Boats laden with goods would glide under the bridge. A nearby ghat was alive with all sorts of activities during peak hours.

Noor Jahan, an elderly resident of Gandaria, recalled those days with nostalgia.

"It was a huge canal even in the 70s," she said. "There was a ghat near the Dayaganj Noor Mosque where many boats would unload goods. By the mid-80s, the boats disappeared, and the canal was transformed into a box culvert."

Nazrul Islam, another long-time resident of Gandaria, reminisced about his childhood by the canal. "The water was fresh, and people caught fish there. We would even jump from the bridge into the canal," he said.

But this once-vibrant waterway, like so many others in Dhaka, has succumbed to encroachment, neglect, and urbanisation.

COUNT OF LOST CANALS

Dhaka was once a city intertwined with water. According to a 2022 study by the River and Delta Research Centre (RDRC), there were 175 canals, lakes, and channels crisscrossing the city.

Over the past 80 years, 80 of these have disappeared entirely, while 15 have been significantly reduced.

The culprits: rampant encroachment, urban sprawl, and a lack of maintenance by the authorities concerned.

The study compared historical cadastral survey (CS) maps from 1880-1940 with modern satellite imagery. The findings were stark: Dhaka had approximately 326 kilometres of watercourses during the CS period. By 2022, this figure had dwindled to 206 kilometres. The canals' combined water area had shrunk by over 300 hectares.

The average width of the canals today is 21 metres. However, these figures from the CS were measured during the dry season, ignoring the full extent of the canals during wetter months.

Rickshaws jostle with cars beneath a railway bridge while pedestrians make their way to their destinations. Once, a thriving canal flowed beneath this road, with boats loaded with goods docking at a nearby ghat. By the mid-1980s, the canal was transformed into a box culvert and is now buried underground. Photo: Firoz Ahmed

DHAKA WASA'S FAILURES

Since 1988, the Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (Wasa) has been responsible for maintaining 26 canals spanning 84.5 kilometres, along with 385 kilometres of stormwater drains and 10 kilometres of box culverts.

However, Wasa has struggled to protect these canals from encroachment and pollution.

Currently, only 24 of the 26 Wasa-maintained canals remain identifiable, albeit in deteriorating conditions.

Begunbari Khal, once part of Norai river, is 2.33km long and 27.76m wide. In comparison to the CS, the canal lost about 0.36 hectares of waterbodies with 4.08km of waterways around it. However, the canal gained 17.1m mean width due to partial excavation.

Even where canals remain, their widths have shrunk alarmingly. For instance, Hazaribagh and Katasur canals now average widths of just 8.82 and 6.10 metres, respectively. The Hazaribagh Khal has lost 2.64km.

"Bridges, waste dumping, and filling up the water bodies are the major factors behind the shrinking canals," said Mohammad Azaz, chairman of the RDRC.

He emphasised the need for urgent measures to restore and protect these waterways.

ENCROACHMENT BEYOND WASA

Outside of Wasa's jurisdiction, Dhaka hosts an additional 45 major canals and numerous smaller, unnamed ones. These canals, which stretch approximately 140 kilometres, have suffered even greater losses.

The RDRC study revealed that 90 kilometres of these canals have vanished since the CS period.

In southern Dhaka, Dholai Khal and Rayerbazar Khal have lost 30 hectares of water cover, while 11 kilometres of waterways have disappeared entirely. In the northeast, canals like Amaiya Khal and Ninnir Chak Khal have experienced significant narrowing, losing more than 13 hectares of water cover collectively.

THE FIGHT FOR RESTORATION

Despite the grim statistics, there are glimmers of hope. Some canals have been widened through government excavation projects.

For example, the average widths of Abdullahpur, Baunia, and Begunbari canals have increased to 10.64, 9.29, and 17.11 metres, respectively.

Additionally, new canals such as Rupnagar-1 and Mohakhali Khal have been excavated, contributing to Dhaka's drainage system.

However, Azaz warned that merely digging new canals is not enough.

"Protection of existing canals is more necessary than digging newer ones to maintain the natural drainage of the city," he says.

The canals of Dhaka are more than just remnants of the past; they are lifelines for a city plagued by waterlogging and environmental degradation. Protecting these waterways requires coordinated efforts from authorities, stricter monitoring, and public awareness, Azaz added.

For the city's future, these waterways hold the key to sustainable urban development and combating waterlogging, he said.

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Dhaka’s lost canals: Once flowing, now forgotten

Dhaka lost canals history

At first glance, Dayaganj in the old part of Dhaka appears to be a typical city street scene.

Beneath a railway bridge, cars and rickshaws jostle for space, and vendors ply their wares.

Yet, underneath the road lies a forgotten history.

In the 1970s, this very spot was home to a thriving canal. Boats laden with goods would glide under the bridge. A nearby ghat was alive with all sorts of activities during peak hours.

Noor Jahan, an elderly resident of Gandaria, recalled those days with nostalgia.

"It was a huge canal even in the 70s," she said. "There was a ghat near the Dayaganj Noor Mosque where many boats would unload goods. By the mid-80s, the boats disappeared, and the canal was transformed into a box culvert."

Nazrul Islam, another long-time resident of Gandaria, reminisced about his childhood by the canal. "The water was fresh, and people caught fish there. We would even jump from the bridge into the canal," he said.

But this once-vibrant waterway, like so many others in Dhaka, has succumbed to encroachment, neglect, and urbanisation.

COUNT OF LOST CANALS

Dhaka was once a city intertwined with water. According to a 2022 study by the River and Delta Research Centre (RDRC), there were 175 canals, lakes, and channels crisscrossing the city.

Over the past 80 years, 80 of these have disappeared entirely, while 15 have been significantly reduced.

The culprits: rampant encroachment, urban sprawl, and a lack of maintenance by the authorities concerned.

The study compared historical cadastral survey (CS) maps from 1880-1940 with modern satellite imagery. The findings were stark: Dhaka had approximately 326 kilometres of watercourses during the CS period. By 2022, this figure had dwindled to 206 kilometres. The canals' combined water area had shrunk by over 300 hectares.

The average width of the canals today is 21 metres. However, these figures from the CS were measured during the dry season, ignoring the full extent of the canals during wetter months.

Rickshaws jostle with cars beneath a railway bridge while pedestrians make their way to their destinations. Once, a thriving canal flowed beneath this road, with boats loaded with goods docking at a nearby ghat. By the mid-1980s, the canal was transformed into a box culvert and is now buried underground. Photo: Firoz Ahmed

DHAKA WASA'S FAILURES

Since 1988, the Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (Wasa) has been responsible for maintaining 26 canals spanning 84.5 kilometres, along with 385 kilometres of stormwater drains and 10 kilometres of box culverts.

However, Wasa has struggled to protect these canals from encroachment and pollution.

Currently, only 24 of the 26 Wasa-maintained canals remain identifiable, albeit in deteriorating conditions.

Begunbari Khal, once part of Norai river, is 2.33km long and 27.76m wide. In comparison to the CS, the canal lost about 0.36 hectares of waterbodies with 4.08km of waterways around it. However, the canal gained 17.1m mean width due to partial excavation.

Even where canals remain, their widths have shrunk alarmingly. For instance, Hazaribagh and Katasur canals now average widths of just 8.82 and 6.10 metres, respectively. The Hazaribagh Khal has lost 2.64km.

"Bridges, waste dumping, and filling up the water bodies are the major factors behind the shrinking canals," said Mohammad Azaz, chairman of the RDRC.

He emphasised the need for urgent measures to restore and protect these waterways.

ENCROACHMENT BEYOND WASA

Outside of Wasa's jurisdiction, Dhaka hosts an additional 45 major canals and numerous smaller, unnamed ones. These canals, which stretch approximately 140 kilometres, have suffered even greater losses.

The RDRC study revealed that 90 kilometres of these canals have vanished since the CS period.

In southern Dhaka, Dholai Khal and Rayerbazar Khal have lost 30 hectares of water cover, while 11 kilometres of waterways have disappeared entirely. In the northeast, canals like Amaiya Khal and Ninnir Chak Khal have experienced significant narrowing, losing more than 13 hectares of water cover collectively.

THE FIGHT FOR RESTORATION

Despite the grim statistics, there are glimmers of hope. Some canals have been widened through government excavation projects.

For example, the average widths of Abdullahpur, Baunia, and Begunbari canals have increased to 10.64, 9.29, and 17.11 metres, respectively.

Additionally, new canals such as Rupnagar-1 and Mohakhali Khal have been excavated, contributing to Dhaka's drainage system.

However, Azaz warned that merely digging new canals is not enough.

"Protection of existing canals is more necessary than digging newer ones to maintain the natural drainage of the city," he says.

The canals of Dhaka are more than just remnants of the past; they are lifelines for a city plagued by waterlogging and environmental degradation. Protecting these waterways requires coordinated efforts from authorities, stricter monitoring, and public awareness, Azaz added.

For the city's future, these waterways hold the key to sustainable urban development and combating waterlogging, he said.

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অপারেশন ডেভিল হান্ট: সারা দেশে গ্রেপ্তার ১ হাজার ৩০৮

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