Footsteps Bangladesh, in collaboration with Berger Paints Bangladesh Limited, has successfully completed the canal cleanup campaign at Hazaribag Bottola Mazar Canal in Dhaka under the #CholoKhaalBachai initiative, a press release said.
With support from the Ministry of Forest, Environment & Climate Change (MOFECC) and Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC), the campaign united community members, volunteers, and institutions in a collective effort to restore one of Dhaka’s most polluted canals. Volunteers played a vital role in engaging local residents, raising awareness about pollution, and ensuring smooth logistics at the site.
For years, the Hazaribag Bottola Mazar Canal has been choked with plastic, household waste, and other pollutants, intensifying monsoon flooding and turning the canal into a breeding ground for mosquitoes, threatening the health and safety of surrounding neighborhoods.
Over the course of 12 days, the campaign successfully removed 35 truckloads of waste and debris, reviving water flow and improving the canal’s environment for nearby communities. Officials from MoFEC and DSCC praised the initiative as a model of cross-sector collaboration to tackle Dhaka’s water management and urban pollution crisis.
Shah Rafayat Chowdhury, President of Footsteps Bangladesh, emphasized the significance of the cleanup:
“This canal has suffered years of neglect and waste accumulation. Berger’s leadership and commitment have helped kickstart this revival. With continued support from government bodies and the community, we are proving that Dhaka’s dying canals can be brought back to life. Every cleanup brings us closer to reclaiming the city’s waterways for future generations.”
This campaign marks the second cleanup under the #CholoKhaalBachai movement and the first partnership with Berger Paints Bangladesh Limited—demonstrating the urgent need for collective action to safeguard Dhaka’s waterways and ensure a healthier urban future.
