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The Sylhet City Corporation will launch a 15-day drive on March 1 to reclaim 18 canals.

The corporation authorities took the decision at a February 12 meeting that approved a proposal involving Tk 1 crore for the demolition of illegal structures, re-excavation of 18 canals and construction of a number of culverts and guard-walls in the city, corporation sources said.

As part of the decisions, the chief engineer of the corporation circulated an advertisement on Wednesday inviting tenders for the contract.

The tenders will be opened on February 26 at the office of the city corporation secretary and the work order will be issued after evaluation, the sources said.

The appointed contractor will have 15 days for demolishing over 2,000 unauthorised structures and re-excavating the canals, they said. Of the approved amount, Tk 24 lakh has been allotted for demolition of structures and dredging of 18 canals.

'Initially we shall start the demolition drive in the city to reclaim the canals from encroachers and then dredging of canals will start.

Then we will complete the renovation works including construction of culverts and guard-walls,' an official in the SCC said. The canals to be reclaimed are Goalichhara, Malnichhara, Dubrichhara, Baithachhara, Gabhial Khal, Ratnar Khal, Nachaichhara, Mangalichhara, Kalibarichhara, Haldichhara, Ghognichhara, Ratanmani Khal, Basu Khal, Kewachhara, Baruthkhana, Bhubichhara, Jhumkachhara and Dhupachhara.

Most of the canals have fallen into the River Surma from the Uttar Surma area; and a few others from the Dakshin Surma area in the city. The drive will begin on March 1, Nur Azizur Rahman, acting chief engineer in the SCC, said on Saturday, adding 'We could not take effective steps for the canals in the past due to various limitations, but this time we will complete our work with the help of the administration and law enforcers'.

According to the sources, more than 2,000 illegal structures, including dwelling houses and commercial buildings, have been established on the canals over the years. Some structures have been built in such a way that they have narrowed the canals and others have completely closed the flow of the canals, resulting in water-logging in the city even after a short spell of raining.

The district council authorities had marked the illegal structures on the canals at the end of 2006 and asked the users to pull down the structures with their own initiatives, but it did not bring any result, sources in the SCC said.

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