Barishal City: Canal excavation fails to prevent waterlogging

The recent excavation of seven canals within Barishal City Corporation hardly made a difference as most of the city areas experienced severe waterlogging following downpour in the last few days.
A total 280mm rainfall was recorded in Barishal city in three days since September 12, submerging the city under 2-4 feet of water.
The Bangladesh Water Development Board initiated a Tk 6.7 crore project to excavate seven canals in the city — Jail canal, Rupatali canal, Amanatganj canal, Bhatar canal, Sagardi canal, Palashpur canal, and Nabagram canal — in December 2023. It claimed to have completed the excavation works on June 30, spending only Tk 2.7 crore of the allocated fund.
However, locals alleged that the canals were not excavated properly and only cleaned from the surface, which is why no apparent improvement was seen with the city’s waterlogging issue.
The persistent rains in last few days left Battala Road, College Row, College Avenue, Gorsthan Road, Palashpur, Amanatganj and Rupatali areas of Barishal city submerged under knee to waist deep water, The entire field of Govt BM College resembled a large waterbody. Most of the schools in the city remained closed due to inundation.
“The canals only got a facelift but not properly excavated through this project. As a result, nothing much improved regarding the city’s waterlogging woes,” said Manbendra Botabyal, a senior lawyer and also resident of College Row area.
Lincoln Bayen, Barishal district coordinator of Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association, said, “There were once 24 canals flowing through Barishal. Now more than six have become non-existent due to rampant encroachment and pollution, which in turn adversely affected the city’s water drainage system.”
Contacted, Md Khaled bin Alid, executive engineer of BWDB in Barishal, admitted that the excavation work did not bring the expected outcomes.
“Many of the canals have been indiscriminately filled up to build houses, including high-rise buildings, and roads. We could not even bring the excavator to Battala canal. Unless the illegal structures are evicted, it is difficult to excavate the canals properly to eliminate waterlogging from the city,” he said.
“An elaborate plan is needed to this end,” he added.