Begunbari canal near Bangladesh FDC & Ideal Trade Centre
Bridge loop at Madhubagh over canal to connect Tejgaon Industrial Area
Tejgaon Industrial area
Watch dog- Madhubagh
Madhubagh
Partial view Niketon-Badda
Niketan-Gulshan south
Merul Badda
Madhubagh
view of Aftabnagar, Rampura
Zahurul Islam University bldg. Aftabnagar, Rampura
Bamboo market on Rampura-Badda road
Water-hyacinth from Begunbari canal
Gulshan-1 lake south
Begunbari
Bridge constn over lake moving at a snail's speed
Begunbari lake
near Tejgaon- FDC
Hatir jheel and Karwanbazar
Eskaton view over Hatir jheel
Hatir jheel- yet incomplete
Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel south side
Panthapath-Sonargaon hotel intersection
Banglamotor intersection
The Hatirjheel-Begunbari canal
project was initiated in 2007 and approved
for an amount of Tk.1,480.98 crore by the ECNEC in Oct 2007 for completion of
work by June 2010. Later, an additional Tk 420
crore was allocated at the end of 2008 for land acquisition, raising the total
project cost to Tk 1,893 crore.
Bangladesh Army and Bangladesh
University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) took over the
Hatijheel-Begunbari project in 2008. Its actual land requirement was assessed
through conducting field-level survey.
According to original time frame,
land acquisition was supposed to be completed by December 2007 but it rolled
till the last quarter of 2010. Project deadline was extended to June 2011 last
year and now a proposal to extend the deadline further to June 2012 is awaiting
approval.
The main objective of the project
was to drain out stagnant water from the city quickly during rainy season.
Under the project, a ring road was considered surrounding the canal.
The Special Works Organisation (Army
Engineering Corps), RAJUK, Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authorities and
Local Government and Engineering Department are jointly implementing the
project.
Hatirjheel and Begunbari canal at
one time were connected to Dhanmondi Lake. During late 80’s when Panthapath
road was constructed, the open channel was filled up.
Hatirjheel-Begunbari project has now been
planned for mufti-dimensional perspectives for ensuring various public
facilities and recreation- amphitheater, floating gardens, water deck, enhanced
communications system connecting Tongi Diversion Road and the Pragati Sarani to
ease the chronic congestion particularly of Mouchak, Maghbazar and Tejgaon
intersections, water-taxi, parking-lots etc. The canal ring road will include
six bridges, four overpasses, one expressway, U-loops, serviceable road and
2.5m walkway. The project will have 300 acres-lake/canal with fresh water,
improved sewerage system and help reducing traffic jam in the city.
The bridge-width (double lane) may be inadequate (like Dhanmandi lake bridge)
in the long run for fast traffic once the canal ring roads are connected with
the three major trunk roads/expressway at Panthapath, FDC, Gulshan south and
Rampura. Width of 'link roads' connecting the areas from one side over the lake
to the other should be 4-lane for vehicular traffic. The south and east bank of
canal pass through densely populated areas of low and middle income group
(Merul Badda, Rampura, Noyatola, Madhubagh and Moghbazar). Without separate
service road isolating these areas from the canal promenade ring roads, the
situation will be too constricted and present a chaotic scene we see around
renovated Lalbagh Killa, Osmani-uddan, Ahsan Manzil and Buriganga river.
Water level in Hatirjkeel/ Begunbari canal during dry season is likely to
go down by 12'-15'. Since the project includes public recreation- promenade,
boating and 'water-taxi' service, to maintain its working head (without
sewer water) water may have to be pumped in with a heavy recurring cost.
(Hatirjheel - Begunbari Wetland Development)
