Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) undertook a project worth around BDT 8.98 billion to restore and beautify four canals in the capital: Shyampur, Jirani, Manda, and Kalunagar. Initially, the project included dredging silt and waste, land development, bicycle lanes, approach roads, amphitheatres, walkways, ghats, bridges, seating areas, children’s playgrounds, food courts, and coffee shops. However, a large portion of these components has now been dropped through a revision. Despite this, the project cost remains unchanged, raising concerns among analysts.

Urban planners warn that the revised scope undermines the project’s core objective of restoring biodiversity and improving the environment of the canals. They argue that limiting the work to merely ensuring water flow will not provide a sustainable solution. Instead, it may lead to further narrowing of the canals at the expense of public funds, while long-term waterlogging problems will persist.

Urban planner Dr Adil Mohammed Khan believes that the DSCC project is repeating past mistakes. He told Bonik Barta, “Dhaka once had an extensive network of canals and water bodies. But major canals were gradually filled in through state initiatives. Under the pretext of constructing culverts, these waterways were destroyed, turning the capital into an urban heat island.”

He also noted that although there is still an opportunity to restore the existing canals around Dhaka according to CS maps, DSCC is not pursuing that approach. Instead, citing examples like Shahbagh or Panthapath canals, the authorities are attempting to implement the project while allowing encroachment on larger canals such as Shyampur to persist. He termed such initiatives a repetition of old errors and a “mockery to the public,” warning of potential misuse of public funds. Questions have therefore arisen regarding the project’s transparency and effectiveness.

The initiative, originally approved in 2024 to conserve biodiversity and enhance canal aesthetics, was revised for a second time in 2025 during the interim government period, according to project sources. The initial plan included 58 phases of work, which have now been reduced to about half, down to 30 phases. Despite this significant reduction in scope, the project cost has not decreased; instead, it has slightly increased to approximately BDT 8.98 billion.

A relevant source stated that the original plan involved demarcating canal boundaries based on CS maps and incorporating up to 10 meters on both sides of the canals under the Water Act. It also included developing parks, public spaces, and walkways along canal banks to enhance the canal’s aesthetic view. However, these components have now been dropped. Instead, the revised plan focuses primarily on pollution control, including the addition of an Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP). Key elements have consequently been removed while the budget remains unchanged, raising concerns over potential financial irregularities.

In response, DSCC officials argued that the primary function of canals is to maintain water flow. They claim that even if the canals are narrowed, water movement will not be significantly affected. They also noted that strict enforcement of the Water Act could complicate eviction processes, which influenced their decision to scale back the project.

Urban planning expert Professor Dr Akter Mahmud criticised this approach, stating that treating canals merely as drainage channels would not only destroy biodiversity but also eventually disrupt water flow itself. Speaking to Bonik Barta, he pointed out, “Similar approaches in areas like Panthapath, Shahbagh, and Motijheel, where canals were converted into box culverts, have already led to the complete loss of ecological value. If DSCC still thinks that only water flow is necessary through the canals, including Shyampur. For that, the canals will be developed by narrowing them as much as possible — this thinking is actually wrong.”

He emphasised that canals are not just conduits for water but play a crucial role in maintaining urban biodiversity and mitigating heat.

He further said, “Narrowing canals using public funds isn’t only an irregularity but a crime. Those responsible for manipulating such projects must be brought under the law.”

The highest allegations of irregularities and mismanagement in the project have been raised over the Shyampur canal. According to stakeholders, among the four canals, this waterway is in the worst condition in terms of encroachment and degradation. The National River Conservation Commission (NRCC) report also notes that while other canals suffer from reduced water flow, they are not heavily encroached upon. In contrast, the Shyampur canal faces extensive encroachment, and its natural existence has been severely damaged.

There are allegations that DSCC itself constructed a road within the CS demarcated boundary of the Shyampur canal, occupying nearly half of its width. Although the corporation claims it is restoring the canal in line with the CS map, field observations suggest otherwise. Canal’s large section has been encroached upon by roads, low-height bridges, and various private structures. Environmentalists and NRCC have long demanded that the canal be restored according to its CS-defined boundary, but this has yet to be properly implemented.

DSCC has adopted a plan to restore the canal while keeping existing encroachments intact, project insiders say. Urban planners argue that this approach repeats the same mistakes that led to the loss and encroachment of other canals in the capital. They warn that despite substantial spending, the Shyampur canal’s genuine restoration is unlikely to be achieved under the current plan.

DSCC project officials claim that the cost was not reduced because the length of the Shyampur canal was initially estimated at 2.4 kilometres, but field inspections found it to be 5.40 kilometres. As a result, they argue, the scope of work increased, justifying the unchanged expenditure.

However, another source involved in the project disputed this claim, stating that the canal’s length had already been identified as 4.78 kilometres at the outset. Even if it extends to 5.40 kilometres, the difference is not significant enough to justify maintaining the same budget while reducing the project scope. Using this as a justification, they argue, constitutes an irregularity.

Responding to the issue, DSCC Superintendent Engineer (Waste Management Division) Dr Mohammad Safiullah Siddique Bhuiyan told Bonik Barta, “We’ve determined the boundaries of all canals based on CS maps. Efforts will focus on restoring water flow in the Shyampur canal while retaining the existing road over the canal.”

When asked why costs were not reduced despite a significant cut in project activities, he said, “The previous project didn’t include any component for pollution control. We’re now planning to construct an ETP, which will involve substantial expenditure. That’s why the overall project cost hasn’t decreased significantly in the revised plan.”