Ramchandrapur Canal Rejuvenation
Site inspection Report
December 22 – February 23
Location: Ramchandrapur khal, Lautola, Bosila,
Mohammadpur
Date of visits: 8th, 15th December 2022, Feb 2023
Visited by:
SDG Forum officials (Toaha Muhammad, Syed
Ishtiaque Ahmed)
Shokti Foundation Officials (Mr. Lucas Odhikari &
Mr Solaiman)
River and Delta Research Centre Chairman
(Mohammad Azaz)
Consulted with:
Dr Rezaur Rahman, Professor, IWFM, BUET
Md. Akhtaruzzaman Talukdar, PS to Chairman, National River Conservation Commission
Fig: Ramchandrapur Canal System
Purpose of visit:
1. Observe the Ramchandrapur khal system first hand
2. Identify possible actions and options to rejuvenate the water canal system by re-establishing
the water flow, bring water quality to an acceptable level, reintroduce biodiversity and
greenery on the bank areas.
3. Identify possible Management plan options that will work on the canal preservation after
canals are restored.
4. Identify Government, Private, civil society actors
5. Gather information on future work plans surrounding the canals
Level-06, House-10, Road-23/C, Gulshan-1, Dhaka-1212, Bangladesh
Phone: +880 9638 221122 Email: connect@sdg-forum.org Website: www.sdg-forum.org
Environmental Impacts Visible: illegal settlement and encroachment on canal and canal banks, loss
of landscape/aesthetic degradation, No proper sewerage and waste disposal system for the
neighboring inhabitants, Water flow reduction, Surface water pollution / Decreasing water (physicochemical, biological) quality, Reduced ecological / hydrological connectivity, Biodiversity loss
(wildlife, agro-diversity),
Ramchandrapur canal at Turag River end:
Turag river exit 1 (Leg 1):
Turag river exit 2 (Leg 2): Basila Uttar Para Nadir Par end
Level-06, House-10, Road-23/C, Gulshan-1, Dhaka-1212, Bangladesh
Phone: +880 9638 221122 Email: connect@sdg-forum.org Website: www.sdg-forum.org
The canal at the Rayerbazar Buddhijibi graveyard section:
Just at the other side of the Mohammadpur-Bosila Road is the canal section that was rejuvenated as
part of the Buddhijibi graveyard project by Bangladesh Army in 2011. Water quality seemed much
better in that section without any pollution that is openly visible in the Lautola section of the canal.
The section also seemed to be rich in bio-diversity and vegetation.
Level-06, House-10, Road-23/C, Gulshan-1, Dhaka-1212, Bangladesh
Phone: +880 9638 221122 Email: connect@sdg-forum.org Website: www.sdg-forum.org
Recent Canal Rejuvenation efforts:
In January this year (2022) the Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) evicted the truck stand, built
illegally on about 300 m part of Ramchandrapur canal, and re excavated the canal.
Later in June’22, Shokti Foundation with funding from HSBC undertook a greenery project: tree
plantation on the bank of the 200m stretch of the canal, supervision, and maintenance on the
stretch of the canal.
The DNCC has taken up a project of demarcating the canal boundaries under DNCC with the help of
the Bangladesh Army. Under the program, Bangladesh Army is placing boundary pillars marking the
canal areas.
Level-06, House-10, Road-23/C, Gulshan-1, Dhaka-1212, Bangladesh
Phone: +880 9638 221122 Email: connect@sdg-forum.org Website: www.sdg-forum.org
Ramchandrapur Canal connection to greater Dhaka canal system:
Ramchandrapur khal at Lautola, Mohammdput was part of a large canal system with connection to
Turag / Buriganga river at different points. Previously in the north west it was connected to
Kollanpur Khal and to the Katashur Khal at the South East. Kollanpur Khal on the other hand was
connected to the Turag River in the north west and Katashur Khal connected to the Turag /
Buriganga river in the south west. Kallyanpur canal is one of the biggest canals of Dhaka connected
to five more canals.
Dhaka Canals:
At present, there are 38 canals in Dhaka. Of them, Wasa is in charge of 26 canals but no authority is
assigned for the maintenance of the remaining 12 canals. In other accounts, there are 53 or 79
canals whose boundaries can be determined from GIS, CS maps. According to Govt rules, no
infrastructure can be built within 20Ft of the boundary of the canals on each side. Some canals are
under BWDB and some are under other authorities. According to news reports, Govt is said to have
undertaken a ~100Cr Tk project for the canals. Also, the City Corps has undertaken projects to
recover the Canals in their respective jurisdictions.
Relevant government actors:
Dhaka City Corporation (North); Dhaka City Corporation (South); Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage
Authority; Rajdhani Unnayan Kartipakkha; Bangladesh Water Development Board; Deputy
Commissioner, Dhaka; National River Protection Commission;
Department of Environment; Ministry of Land; Ministry of Environment and Forest; Ministry of
Water Resources; Ministry of Housing and Public Works; Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner.
Level-06, House-10, Road-23/C, Gulshan-1, Dhaka-1212, Bangladesh
Phone: +880 9638 221122 Email: connect@sdg-forum.org Website: www.sdg-forum.org
Water capacity estimation in the Ramchandrapur Canal:
Canel system at Lautola Khal, Bosila, Mohammadpur
No Legs
Direction From - To
Recovered section (Proposed
1 Canel Leg 0
Ramchandrapur lake and park)
2
3
4
5
6
Canel Leg 1
Canel Leg 2
Canel Leg 3
Canel Leg 4
Canel Leg 5
NW - NE Buriganga - Lautola
NE - SW Lautola - Buriganga
N-S
ULAB Campus - Canel Leg 1
Small lake from Canel Leg 2
N-S
Martyr Graveyard - Buriganga
Canel Dimensons
Length (m) Width (m) Depth (m) Volume (m3) Comment
200
7
3
4,200
2500
2000
1000
10
10
10
2500
10
3
3
3
3
3
75,000
60,000
30,000
30,000
75,000
274,200
Total:
Long term involvement in water management of the greater Ramchandrapur canal network in Dhaka
city,
1. A pilot project in rejuvenating the canal network that can include the following components:
1. Water flow increase and management (device a mechanism to increase the water flow in
the canal), 2. Plastic pollution control 3. Water pollution control measures (from adjacent
households and complexes) 4. Water filtration system to increase the quality of the water
before being released in the river Turag.
The project will help in restoring the biodiversity of the canal channels. Upon successful
completion of the model pilot project, it can be replicated in other canal networks of Dhaka
city.
Through discussion with the Govt stakeholders/canal restoration task force members are required to
understand future work plans in rejuvenating the canal network.
Long-term involvement in water management of the greater canal network in Dhaka city,
1. Initiate discussion with Govt stakeholders and experts in devising a long-term canal
rejuvenating project in terms of reclamation, excavation, canal navigability, water quality,
pollution control, plastic pollution control, biodiversity, livelihood, and canal management.
Level-06, House-10, Road-23/C, Gulshan-1, Dhaka-1212, Bangladesh
Phone: +880 9638 221122 Email: connect@sdg-forum.org Website: www.sdg-forum.org
Next Steps:
Continue discussion with the relevant parties working and having knowledge on the Canal
system.
Appendix:
Project area location in the city,
Links to news reports:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXEALHP65wk&t=82s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zm_5aoxgfdY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KoQFgGF9gug
https://archive.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/dhaka/2020/10/09/restoring-dhaka-s-canals-govtdecides-to-initiate-combined-survey
https://www.prothomalo.com/bangladesh/%E0%A6%95%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%9F%E0%A6%
BE%E0%A6%B8%E0%A7%81%E0%A6%B0%E0%A6%B0%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%AE%E0%A6%9A%E0%A6%A8%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6
Level-06, House-10, Road-23/C, Gulshan-1, Dhaka-1212, Bangladesh
Phone: +880 9638 221122 Email: connect@sdg-forum.org Website: www.sdg-forum.org
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Level-06, House-10, Road-23/C, Gulshan-1, Dhaka-1212, Bangladesh
Phone: +880 9638 221122 Email: connect@sdg-forum.org Website: www.sdg-forum.org