Residents of Nabagram village in Noakhali’s Kabirhat upazila staged a protest on Sunday against unnecessary canal digging in the area, which they claim is causing significant public inconvenience.
The human chain was formed at Chiringa bazaar in the morning, where locals voiced their concerns about the ongoing project.
According to the protesters, the Chiringa Canal has been renovated multiple times in the past under C-3 project. However, the embankments of the Noakhali canal, a connecting section, remain unaddressed. As a result, during monsoon seasons, homes, agricultural fields and fish farms in the area are frequently submerged.
The current initiative by Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC) to renovate the canal without addressing the embankment at the head of Chiringa Canal is feared to exacerbate the plight of hundreds of families in the region.
The residents demanded that the authorities focus on cutting the embankment at the head of Chiringa Canal instead of continuing with the proposed digging, to ensure proper drainage and minimize flooding risks.
When contacted, BADC Noakhali Assistant Engineer Jewel Hossain stated over the phone that any canal excavation would include measures to ensure proper water drainage. He further clarified that the digging would proceed only if the surveyed maps confirm the existence of the canal. Otherwise, no excavation will be undertaken.
