Pirojpur’s 43 canals reduced to drains and dumps

Once, the canals flowing through Pirojpur town were the main route for transporting goods and people via paddle and engine-run boats.

Municipal records show that at least 43 canals once crisscrossed the locality.

However, now it is unimaginable for even small boats to ply these canals, as most of those, including the widest Damodar canal, have been filled up or encroached upon by locals at various points.

Several canals have been narrowed down into drains in the name of development. As a result, these waterways are no longer of any use to townspeople or visitors.

"During the British era, two steamers could cross through the Damodar canal at a time," said an elderly local, Mohammad Babul.

"But now, it is on its deathbed," he added, noting that the canal has become heavily silted up alongside being encroached upon from both sides.

Raju Sheikh, another local, said, "During our childhood, a huge number of water vessels would use the Damodar canal, which connected the Kacha river at Hulerhat and the Baleshwar river at the old boat ferry terminal, as a shortcut."

The same scenario is seen in other canals of the town, including Krishnanagar Basabari canal, Khamkata Phultala canal,  Dhuppasa canal,  Mondalpara canal,  Shikarpur canal, and Royerkathi Police Lines canal. None of the 43 canals within Pirojpur town is currently usable, as they have been filled up and occupied.

"People living beside the canals randomly throw garbage and waste into them, and there is no monitoring to prevent it. So, the canals are being filled up and gradually dying," said Mizanur Rahman, another local.

Mainul Ahsan Munna, a development worker in the town, said there is no alternative to canals. "But the canals flowing through Pirojpur town are being killed and filled up before the eyes of the municipal authorities," he said, adding that no steps have been taken to save them.

He said due to the destruction of the canals, water from the river can no longer enter the town. Even during floods, water gets trapped in the town area.

Contacted, Dhruba Lal Datta Banik, executive engineer of Pirojpur municipality, said they will free the grabbed canals with the help of the district administration.

He acknowledged that almost all of the 43 canals are barely surviving at present.

"We have sent a proposal to the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) under the Improvement of Ponds, Canals Across the Country Project (IPCP) for the re-excavation of the canals," he said.

"If our proposal is passed, then we will be able to bring around 30 kilometres of canals and four ponds back to life," he added.

Contacted, Mohammad Ashraful Alam Khan, deputy commissioner of Pirojpur, said the Pirojpur district administration has a plan for excavating the dying canals.

"We have primarily begun cleaning and re-excavating the two-kilometre-long Bharani canal flowing through the town. Others will be re-excavated in phase," the DC said.