The government has taken an initiative to recover and rejuvenate Ati Khal, a canal locally known as a "dead stretch" of the Buriganga River, in Keraniganj, on the outskirts of the capital.
The move aims to restore drainage capacity, revive inland navigation, and improve the local environment through large-scale excavation, according to sources at the water resources ministry.
Locally referred to as the "dead Buriganga", Ati Khal flows through the Keraniganj upazila.
The canal is about 15.75 kilometres long, with a width ranging from 10 to 45 metres.
It originates from the Dhaleshwari River at Char Akshail in Kalatia union and, after passing through several mouzas, falls into the Buriganga at Kholamora in Shakta union.
On Wednesday, during a visit to the re-excavation and bank protection activities at Shubhadya Khal and Ati Khal in Keraniganj, Water Resources Minister Md Shahiduddin Chowdhury Anee said canals would be freed from illegal encroachers to restore their lost heritage.
Alongside canal restoration, necessary tree plantation and beautification initiatives would be undertaken to protect the banks, he said.
Required infrastructure would be built for canal excavation, development, and conservation, while the local government ministry would be engaged to introduce modern waste management initiatives, he said.
He added that steps would be taken nationwide to prevent canal encroachment and pollution.
The minister also said canal excavation and restoration were currently underway through ongoing projects, and priority-based initiatives would be undertaken across the country.
He said the work on Shubhadya Khal and Ati Khal would be completed soon, adding that a second-phase project would be taken up to ensure sustainability, river connectivity, and uninterrupted water flow.
Anee said Prime Minister Tarique Rahman had announced a nationwide programme to excavate and re-excavate 20,000 kilometres of canals, ponds, and water bodies over the next five years.
He stressed the importance of making canal excavation sustainable, supporting people's livelihoods, conserving biodiversity, and formulating modern and effective waste management strategies.
Officials concerned say rapid industrialisation and urbanisation have taken place along both banks of the canal over the years.
However, due to the absence of proper waste management systems, industrial effluents and household waste have long been discharged directly into the canal.
As a result, large sections have become heavily silted, significantly reducing water flow.
Numerous illegal structures have also been built along the canal banks, leaving only stagnant pools of water in some areas outside the monsoon season.
Against this backdrop, the government is implementing the "Re-excavation of Shubhadya Canal and Development and Protection of Both Banks in Keraniganj Upazila of Dhaka District (Phase-1)" under the water resources ministry.
The project is being executed by the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB).
Its key objectives include removing illegal encroachments, re-excavating the canal, restoring internal navigation, improving water quality, and creating recreational facilities along the canal banks for local residents.
The project was approved by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) in August 2023 with an original estimated cost of Tk 3,175.9 million.
A revised Development Project Proposal (DPP), approved on February 9 this year, raised the cost to Tk 3,533.7 million - around 11 per cent higher than the initial allocation.
The project deadline has also been extended by a year, with completion now scheduled for June 2027.
According to the implementing agency, financial progress stood at about Tk 813.7 million as of January 2026, representing nearly 26 per cent of the total project cost, while physical progress reached around 17 per cent.
Sources at the water resources ministry say during a nationwide canal excavation programme in the 1980s, late president Ziaur Rahman personally visited the area and joined workers in digging the canal.
Later, in 1992, former prime minister Khaleda Zia inaugurated re-excavation work on Ati Khal.
However, due to inadequate maintenance over time, the canal once again fell into a near-dead condition.
Officials of the water development board say proper re-excavation and protection of Ati Khal will enhance irrigation facilities for agriculture, improve inland water transport, and significantly upgrade the environmental condition of the Keraniganj area.
To ensure sustainability, they stress the importance of demarcating canal boundaries and keeping both banks permanently free from encroachment.
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