Members of the Rupnagar Abasik Janakalyan Samity form a human chain at Mirpur in the city yesterday demanding immediate steps to protect Rupnagar-Duaripara canal from the land grabbers.Photo: STAR

Residents of Rupnagar, Arambagh of Pallabi in the city and Save the Environment Movement formed a human chain yesterday at Rupnagar area demanding immediate steps to protect Rupnagar-Duaripara canal from land grabbers.
The canal has now turned into just a narrow drain due to continuous filling by the land grabbers, said Md Touhidul Bashar, general secretary of Rupnagar Abashik Janakalyan Samity.
He said the land grabber started filling the canal again at the ending point of the road 20, 21, 27 and 28 of Rupnagar residential area.
The grabbers already filled up 70 percent of the canal at the ending point of road 20 and 21 and about 50 percent at the ending point of road 27 and 28.
If the authorities concerned fail to recover the canal from the grabbers, Rupnagar, Arambagh, Arifabad and Pallabi extension area will be submerged even after a light shower, he added.
Due to its importance the government has included the canal into its priority list of recovering 26 canals of the city, he said.
National Housing Authority already handed over the canal to the Wasa for maintenance, he said.
Abu Naser Khan, chairman of Save the Environment Movement, urged the authorities concerned to take immediate action against those who are responsible of filling the canal and demanded recovering canal immediately.