The Sylhet City Corporation (SCC) has taken up a new two-year project involving Tk 20 crore to resolve the water-logging problem in the city by restoring the nine canals and improving drainage system. LGRD ministry has okayed the work plan after it got nod from the Planning Commission, SCC sources said yesterday. All the nine natural canals, locally known as chhara, will be re-excavated and structures will be built to protect them from further encroachment. The severe drainage congestion in city and its adjoining areas will be removed through 'some immediate interventions', said SCC Chief Executive Officer Kazi Abdul Nur. The project will be funded by he LGRD ministry, he said. Encroached lands of the canals will be recovered by evicting illegal occupiers and those will be protected from future encroachment by erecting permanent demarcation pillars and walls, he said. Once a lifeline for the city, most lands of the nine major canals in the city have been encroached. These include Malnichhera, Goalichhera, Monglichhera, Akhalichhera, Bhubichhera, Boloramer Khal, Ratnar Khal, Haldichhera and Bashu Khal. "We hope works on the project will begin in the current financial year (2008-2009)', the official added. Monsoon brings immense sufferings for the city dwellers. Water remains stagnant in most of the prime roads and areas after an hour's rain as the canals have been squeezed by land grabbers. In many areas, there is no existence of the streams, where small boats used to ply earlier. Allegations have it that some ward commissioners were also directly or indirectly involved in land grabbing. The department of Environment Engineering at Shahjalal University of Science & Technology (SUST) in a report last year said the city faces a threat of environmental disaster due to housing projects in low lands in and around the city, built by filling those indiscriminately. The report suggested reclamation and re-excavation of natural canals. Repeated attempts to recover the canals in last two decades failed due to alleged inaction by implementing authorities, reportedly influenced by political bigwigs. At times, politically motivated programme were initiated only to bluff the city dwellers, many citizens said while talking to this correspondent. A cell was formed with city representatives of the elite, officials from the administration and police and NGOs in 2000 to identify causes of the failed attempts and to suggest remedies. But the cell never worked. Earlier in January this year, dropping the idea of eviction or demolishing illegal structures, SCC attempted to acquire banks of Basu Khal at a cost of Tk one crore, sanctioned by LGRD ministry. But it could not show any achievement in last six months. The SCC floated tenders but there was no response from contractors, SCC officials said. Different organisations on several occasions staged protest rallies and formed human chains to press resolution of the water-logging problem.