KCC move to demolish illegal structures on 16 city canals

27 March 2009, 18:00 PM

Staff Correspondent, Khulna

Khulna City Corporation (KCC) will launch a drive soon to demolish illegal structures on 16 canals in the city. Mayor Talukder Abdul Khaleque has called a high level meeting at Nagar Bhaban tomorrow to discuss the issue and take necessary measures in this regard. High government officials, leaders of professional organisations, elected representatives and local journalists are expected to attend the meeting. The mayor will seek their cooperation to make the drive a success, “The meeting is very important as it will fix a date for launching the drive to demolish unauthorised structures on the canals, which create serious water-logging problem in the city during raining season,” said Mrinal Kanti Deb, Additional deputy commissioner and convenor of a 19-member committee formed by the mayor on February 5 to identify the encroachers. After conducting a survey, the committee submitted a report to the mayor on March 24. In the report, the committee identified 81 encroachers. Some influential leaders of Awami League and BNP and a few officials of both police and civil administration are among the encroachers. During survey, the committee members found that some canals were filled with earth for construction of roads hampering free flow of water. Besides, an urban health centre of the KCC was also set up on encroached land of Labonchora canal seriously hampering water flow, said convenor of the committee.