Lakes that have been occupied illegally in the center of the capital will be recovered and planned for navigation.
In this regard an initiative has been taken to rearrange lakes in Gulshan, Banani and Baridhara area in imitation of Hatirjheel reservoir with an estimated cost of Tk 5000 crore. Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK) will implement the project. Soon the project will be placed at ECNEC for final approval.
Existing culverts and bridges over the lake will be recreated with lucrative design. At the same time, development of the lake and surrounding areas will be renovated with entertainment facilities.
RAJUK Chief Engineer ASM Raihanul Ferdous told Bangladesh Post that they have taken such steps so that they can rescue the existing lakes in these areas and offer a beautiful city to its dwellers and reduce traffic backlog.
The first of these three lakes will start from behind the Police Convention Center and extend through Badda, Shahjadpur to Baridhara, United Hospital.
The second branch starts from Niketan and passes Gulshan, Gausul Azam Mosque to Banani Graveyard. The third branch starts from Niketan via Gulshan through Karail Basti to Banani Chairman House. Urban planners have hailed the project as these lakes with water taxi facilities will reduce the capital’s traffic congestion significantly. Bangladesh Institute of Planners General Secretary SM Mehedi Hasan said that if these lakes can be recovered how they will be connected with each other with the existing sewerage system should be planned earlier. At the same time introducing water taxi facilities in these ways will reduce traffic jams in the capital too.
To connect the waterways from Police Plaza to Badda Sahajadpur, the existing link road will be demolished and a new unique bridge will be built that will not create hindrance in water navigation or traffic movement.
The new plan will cover an area of 298.15 acres with an aesthetic environment. Along with the acquisition of additional 80 acres of land, illegal encroachment must be evicted. Roads on both sides of the lake and aesthetic bridges and walkways will be constructed at 9 places. There will be various entertainment activities.
It will be implemented from RAJUK's own and government funds. The project is now awaiting ECNEC approval. Of the total TK 4943.15 crore, RAJUK will provide 30 percent from its own fund and the rest will be given from the government fund, informed the chief engineer SM Mehedi Hasan.
If the lake is developed as planned after overcoming the existing barriers, new waterways will be created for transportation here. And the city dwellers will get a new entertainment center, he concluded.