The long-awaited project to rejuvenate the Ichamati river began in early June under the supervision of Bangladesh Army, bringing joy to the people of Pabna.

The Water Development Board (WDB) initiated the "Rejuvenating River Ichamati" project with a budget of Tk 1554.90 crore.

"We have started dredging operations in the Madhpur-Jagannathpur area of Santhia upazila, Pabna, under the supervision of the Bangladesh Army Engineering Division," said Shudhangshu Kumar Sarkar, project director of the Ichamati project.

This three-year project involves dredging 110km of waterways. This includes 33.772km of the main river, 44.072 km of connecting canals, 20 km of the Sutikhali River, and 12.37 km of Varara Canal to restore water flow.

Sarkar, who is also the superintendent engineer of WDB Pabna, added, "Dredging of the main river will be conducted first, and then other works will begin."

In addition to dredging, the project includes constructing a 10-km retaining wall, 10 km of drainage, 23 new bridges, 56 ghats for boat parking, and a 10-km walkway. The project also plans to plant 42,310 trees along the riverbanks for beautification.

A visit to the Madhpur-Jagannathpur area a few days ago revealed rapid progress in the dredging work.

The 82-kilometer-long Ichamati River, which originates from the Padma River and reaches Hurasagar in Bera upazila, flows through the district headquarters of Pabna. However, it has been severely affected by rampant encroachment and pollution over the decades.

"The people of Pabna have been striving to protect the Ichamati River, essential to their livelihoods," said SM Mahabubul Alom, founder of Ichamati Rokhkha Andolon.

"We want proper dredging of the Ichamati according to the CS map for rejuvenating the river," he added.

After the project was approved in the ECNEC meeting last October, the work was handed over to the Army Engineering Division, according to WDB.

Encroachers have occupied land forging documents in their names over the past few decades. The WDB has identified 1053 illegal structures on the Ichamati . Encroachers have filed a series of cases, with 73 cases still pending in court.

"Ichamati will be dredged according to the CS map, and illegal structures will be removed as per court directions," said Md Mosharaf Hossain, assistant director of WDB Pabna.