everyone in the neighbourhood is unhappy in the manner this blatant fillup has happened when the dumpers first arrived i thought they would clean the canal we were asked to sign not only endorsing the fillup but demanding a childrens park and community centre in its place said a local resident on request of anonymity fearing repercussions for speaking to reporters on the subject he told us that the area would be completely transformed swapan and other party workers asked us to endorse the canal fillup since it had turned into a garbage dumping ground since it was government land we thought it fit to fill up the canal and reclaim it to prevent further encroachment he argued octogenarian santi deb who had earlier expressed his displeasure in the manner in which the canal was filled up did a uturn but none has the spine to object to a criminal act like filling up a canal he said deb may have embraced the idea with gusto but the rest of the neighbourhood is simmering with frustration at their inability to prevent a british era canal from being filled up a childrens park and community hall will completely transform the area meanwhile timber godowns encroached on the canal along the chawalpatti road the canal was gradually getting encroached on the future course of action swapan said the silt would be allowed to settle following which earth will be dumped on top with no place for rainwater runoff every downpour led to waterlogging saha though is convinced the decision to fill up the canal is right since the councillor knows about my interest in gardening he has asked me to look after the garden he said then some more land was grabbed for a truck stand according to locals of south sealdah road near palmerbazar in east kolkata councillor jibon sahas trusted lieutenants in the locality led by one swapan pal went from doortodoor a couple of weeks ago collecting signatures on a document that claimed locals wanted the canal to be filled up and make way for a childrens park and a community hall i will check with the councillor the mla has the right to take decisions that he feels are justified a resident said clearly mouthing words that had been drilled into his ears by sahas men on friday the very residents remained tightlipped fear palpable in their eyes another resident was furious that neither mla paresh pal nor saha had considered it important to inform residents of the decision to turn the canal into a sludge dump a councillor who led the illegal fillup of a canal in the heart of the city is now claiming that his action has been endorsed and approved by locals much to the residents dismay a resident had earlier told toi living here has become intolerable thereafter we will first set up the garden followed by the community centre he said the earth should stabilize by next year instead they dumped sewage