Lawmaker leads community effort to clear canal and resolve long-standing waterlogging in Mymensingh

TARAKANDA, MYMENSINGH — Lawmaker Muhammadullah, representing the 11-party alliance for the Mymensingh-2 constituency, led a community-driven effort on Wednesday to clear water hyacinths from the Panguyai Canal to resolve chronic waterlogging in Tarakanda upazila. The parliamentarian waded into chest-deep water to manually clear the obstructions between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., an act that prompted more than 100 local residents to join the cleanup operation.

The stagnation began approximately seven to eight years ago when local individuals blocked the flow of the canal by claiming ownership of land at the mouth of the Kakni Canal. The blockage prevented water from draining from the Dimur Bill into the Kakni Canal and eventually into the Diyara River. This disruption resulted in severe waterlogging that submerged the homes and agricultural lands of approximately 2,000 families across nine villages, including Duai, Baruwai, Tilatia, Partala, Danta, Titpur, Sutiyapari, Matichapur, and Kakni.

Residents expressed optimism that the initiative would provide long-term relief. Enamul Haque, a local villager, noted that hundreds of acres of cropland had been rendered unusable due to the sustained flooding. With the removal of the hyacinths, water has already begun to recede from the surrounding areas. Another resident, Mosharraf Hossain, urged the government to further dredge the canal up to the Kakni Bridge, noting that the lawmaker had previously pledged to address the issue following public complaints.

Elderly mother files complaint against sons for eviction following fatal property dispute in Jashore

Read Article

Addressing the crowd, Muhammadullah emphasized that local canals once served as the backbone of the regional agricultural and fishing economy but have since been decimated by illegal encroachment and neglect. He advocated for community-led volunteerism, suggesting that reliance on government funding alone is insufficient to restore vital waterways.

In response to local demands, the lawmaker announced that he would personally purchase the occupied land currently obstructing the canal’s path. He further committed to dredging the waterway up to the Kakni Bridge and connecting it to the Kakni Bill to ensure permanent drainage and restored navigability for the region.