Dhaka canals in dire straits

Dhaka’s plight deepens as it hemorrhages 120 kilometres of canals, equating to 307 hectares, over eight decades.

These once-crucial waterways and drainage systems succumb to encroachment, unplanned urbanization, and governmental neglect, as evidenced by a sobering study from the River and Delta Research Centre (RDRC).

The study reveals the complete disappearance or significant reduction in the length of 95 canals, dealing a severe blow to Dhaka’s ecological resilience and the well-being of its inhabitants.

A stark comparison between the 1880-1940 land survey and 2022 satellite imagery lays bare the extent of the devastation.

What was once a robust network of 54 major canals, 111 narrow canals, and nine lakes has dwindled to a mere 77 major canal, 31 narrow streams, and a sparse scattering of lakes?

The city’s watercourse has shrunk from 326 kilometres to a paltry 206 kilometres, a poignant reminder of Dhaka’s escalating environmental degradation.

Driven by population expansion and unchecked development, rapid urbanization blankets crucial water bodies, while collusion between land grabbers and complicit officials exacerbates the crisis.

Canals like Dholai Khal and Mohakhali Khal languish amidst a landscape of illicit structures and debris.

Yet, beyond the loss of canals lies the forfeiture of invaluable opportunities.

These water bodies once served as lifelines for Dhaka’s ecosystem, regulating groundwater, mitigating floods, and nurturing diverse flora and fauna.

Their disappearance exacerbates the city’s already precarious environmental equilibrium.

Governmental responses, though present, remain tepid, primarily focusing on sporadic canal excavation and the creation of new lakes without addressing underlying issues.

Urgent, comprehensive action, characterized by collaboration and public engagement, is imperative.

While the recent directive to maintain 26 canals represents a positive step, the absence of specific oversight for 12 canals underscores the need for a more coherent approach.

Dhaka’s leaders must prioritize canal preservation and enforce anti-encroachment laws with vigour, supported by vigilant civil society oversight.

The fate of Dhaka’s canals serves as a litmus test for its commitment to sustainable development. Failure risks depriving future generations of a city steeped in natural heritage and resilience.

Dhaka cannot afford to stand by as its canals vanish idly; their survival is inexorably intertwined with the city’s own.