Barishal mayor candidates pledge to recover canals to solve waterlogging

Mayoral candidates in the upcoming Barishal City Corporation election have focused on the waterlogging issue, a major problem in the city, in their election campaign to gain public support.

All the candidates have pledged to restore the city's canals as a solution to the waterlogging problem if they are elected.

Barishal city residents said that the city, situated between the Kirtankhola and Sugandha rivers, once had numerous canals linking these rivers. However, due to unplanned development, many of these canals have been lost over the years.

During even minor rainfall, several areas of the city experience waterlogging due to the absence of a sufficient drainage system. As a result, constructing a proper drainage system is their primary demand.

Rafiqul Islam, resident of the BM College area in Barishal city, said that during the rainy season, residents are compelled to wade through knee-deep water to leave their homes for work and other activities.

The city had twenty-two canals interconnected with the rivers, which used to serve as the primary means of maintaining an effective drainage system.

Unfortunately, over the past decade, many of the canals have been filled in, and there have been no efforts made to restore them.

Hasib Alom, resident of the Kownia area, pointed out that public representatives have not made any attempts to restore the canals. The reason behind this inaction is that reclaiming the canals would require demolishing permanent concrete structures and buildings, which could potentially make the public representatives unpopular.

However, the mayoral candidates in the upcoming election have acknowledged this issue and have made promises to address and resolve the problem.

"The canals play a crucial role in establishing an effective drainage system. During rainfall, a significant portion of the city gets submerged. Without reclaiming the canals, it is impossible to solve the waterlogging issue," emphasised Kamrul Ahsan Rupon, independent mayoral candidate and son of the late Barishal mayor from the BNP Ahasan Habib Kamal.

He further stated, "If elected as the mayor, I am determined to recover the canals at any cost."

Syed Muhammad Faizul Karim, mayoral candidate representing the Islami Andolon, has echoed a similar commitment. He said, "The canals are valuable natural assets of our city. I will make every effort and take appropriate measures to restore these canals."

Iqbal Hossain Taposh, mayoral candidate representing Jatiya Party, has made a firm commitment to prioritise the recovery of the canals if elected. 

He stated, "I will engage in discussions with those involved in canal encroachments, making them aware that such actions are criminal offenses. With the support of the city residents, I will reclaim the natural flow of water in the canals."

Meanwhile, environmental activists have expressed skepticism regarding the candidates' commitments. 

Lincoln Byne, coordinator of Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (Bela), Barishal chapter, said, "Every former mayor of the city made promises to recover the canals, but none of them took any decisive action. Despite our demands, the authorities failed to compile a list of encroachers."

Barishal City Corporation election is scheduled to be held on 12 June 2023.