Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan spoke to journalists after inspecting the cleaning drive of the Ramchandrapur Canal in the capital's Adabor today. Photo: PID

DHAKA, June 21, 2025 (BSS) – Adviser for Environment, Forests and Climate Change Syeda Rizwana Hasan has called for continuing the ongoing efforts to ensure the normal flow of water in Ramchandrapur and other canals surrounding the capital city and increase public awareness on this issue.

She said this after inspecting the cleaning drive conducted to restore the normal flow of the Ramchandrapur Canal in the capital's Adabor today.
On the concluding day of the two-day cleaning drive Rizwana Hasan and DNCC Administrator Mohammad Ejaz inspected the cleaning drive and encouraged the volunteers.

The DNCC administrator said cleanliness is not just an activity but a civic responsibility. Common people, voluntary organizations and government institutions must work together to protect the canals, he said.

The administrator said all the canals of the city including the Ramchandrapur canal are linked to existence of the people.

DNCC activities are not only limited to cleaning the canals but also building a sustainable management through curving pollution, beautification and involving the citizens with the activities.

The city corporations alone cannot discharge the responsibilities. If the local people are not involved the canals will again be polluted, he said.

“Through installing dustbins on the banks of the canals, beautification work of the walkways and awareness programs, we want to convey the message to the people that this city is ours, the canals are ours, and it is our responsibility to keep it clean,” he said.

The Ramchandrapur Canal cleaning campaign is being implemented by the voluntary organization Footstep. More than three hundred volunteers and DNCC cleaning workers participated in the campaign, which was conducted under the supervision of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and Dhaka North City Corporation and in collaboration with IDLC Finance.

Local people and volunteers actively participated in the initiative and called for such activities to be continued regularly.