The panorama of the Hatirjheel project is soon to attract viewers after the prime minster, Sheikh Hasina, inaugurates the beautiful spot today. — Sony Ramany

Following several postponements since 2010, the city’s Hatirjheel- Begunbari Lake with its road networks and surrounding features, many of which still remain
incomplete, is all set to be opened to public by prime minister Sheikh Hasina this morning.
Once a grand canal, linked to rivers, the twin lakes, now separated by Tongi Diversion Road, would provide much awaited relief the residents crave for in this historic city, getting more and more suffocating, with its open green spaces rapidly shrinking.
Restoration of the twin lakes is expected to provide the city its much needed breather.
Greens call it the last hope for the residents anxiously awaiting for some respite from the mindless disappearance of the historic city’s greeneries crisscrossed by its numerous canals and water bodies.
The planners pledged recreation facilities around the twin lakes most of which await completion after failing several deadlines.
The twin lakes stretching four kilometers from the rear of Hotel Sonargaon to Rampura Bridge, has been designed to provide the city a facelift.
An amphitheatre, await construction on the lake side behind Tejgaon Industrial Area, for theatre goers to enjoy performances sitting in the open air by the lake waters.
A water deck at Magh Bazaar would provide an open platform for entertainment upon the lake.
In the middle of the lake, between Badda and West Rampura, a forested island to be called Eco-Centre, visitors would be delighted to see a variety of flora and fauna. 
Also, planned boat rides around the island would be an extra delight but no visitor would be permitted to set foot on the island.
Promised water taxies would carry visitors around the lake up to Gulshan-1 and at a subsequent stage up to the serpentine lake passing by Gulshan 2 and Banani.
Water taxi terminals would be set up at Badda and Magh Bazaar, assure planners.
Project director brigadier general Abu Syeed Md Masud said the main components of the project had been completed but it would require one more year to complete landscaping, construction of u-loops near Rampura and Management Bhaban.
The project’s main objectives were to improve the city’s drainage, connect the city’s eastern part with the western part, development of a proper sewerage system and lying walkways and roads around the twin lakes to improve the city’s road communication and cutting down its traffic jam.
Abu Syeed said that traffic movement at Maghbazar, Madhubagh, Ulan, Mahanagar, Dasherpara, Rampura, Merul Badda, Gulshan, Tejgaon and Begunbari would improve once the project is completed.
 A two-way road from Hotel Sonargaon to Tongi Diversion Road on the southern part of the Begunbari-Hatirjheel project along the Begunbari lake connects Dilu Road, said the project officials.
A separate one-way express  road, with sidewalks,  stretches from Tongi Diversion Rod to Rampura Bridge along the Hatirjheel lake, they said.
 A two-lane expressway stretches from Tongi Diversion Road to Pragati Sarani via Gulshan.
In the northern part, a road stretches from Begunbari power house to Merul Badda via Kunipara and Gulshan-1.
Rajuk engineer A SM Raihanul Ferdous said that the road network was  completed.
He said landscaping, pump station and Dasherkandi sewage treatment plant were yet to be completed though they most important components of the project.
BUET professor Mujibur Rahman, said that preparation of the designs of the pump station and sewage treatment plant was at final stage.
It would take a year to set up the pump station and two years to set up the treatment plant.
The twin lake restoration project was taken to protect the water body from land grabbers.
Proper waste management of surrounding areas was also among the objectives, besides building the road between Karwanbazar and Rampura to cut down the city’s traffic congestion, said the BUET teacher.
The housing and public works ministry project was scheduled to be completed by December 2010.
Since then time was extended a number of times. 
At the inauguration, the PM is expected to release 200 swans and witness boat racing.
In the evening BTV artistes would present a cultural soiree to be followed fire works.   
The Integrated Development of Hatirjheel Area including Begunbari Khal Project’ the official title of the project is costing Tk 1971.3048 crore due to cost escalation.
The project is being jointly implemented by housing and public works ministry, Rajuk, army engineering corps, Dhaka Wasa, and LGED the consultaion was provided by BUET.