An excavator of Dhaka South City Corporation is at work during a demolition drive against the illegal structures along the bank of Ibrahimpur Canal at Mirpur on Monday. — New Age photo

Dhaka north city mayor Md Atiqul Islam said that all the illegal structures built encroaching on the city canals would be demolished soon, no matter how influential the canal occupiers were.

Inspecting a demolition drive along the banks of Ibrahimpur Canal at Mirpur on Monday, Atiq said that, on the basis of CS record, lands of all the canals would be reclaimed in phases.

‘The city corporation will increase water carrying capacity of the canals by re-excavation and also will facilitate greenery, walkways and cycle lanes along the banks of the canals,’ said the mayor.

During the drive, a DNCC mobile court evicted a number of illegal structures built encroaching on Ibrahimpur Canal, including a three-storey building.

The mayor declared that the eviction drive would be expanded to other canals in phases to demolish illegal structures irrespective of height.

Dhaka North City Corporation chief executive officer Md Selim Reza, chief waste management officer M Saidur Rahman, chief engineer Amirul Islam and Dhaka district deputy commissioner Shahidul Islam, among others, were present on the occasion.

On December 31, Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority handed over the drainage responsibility of the city to north and south city corporations, including maintenance of the 26 canals of the city.

Most of the canals had remained occupied by influential groups over the years. Due to the poor maintenance of the canals city people suffer from water-logging.