Mansur Pabna Correspondent: Due to legal issues in the lower courts, the efforts to rejuvenate the Ichamati River in Pabna city have halted. When I visited the Atua area of the city, I observed excavators and trucks lined up along the riverbanks, ready to remove soil. The residents of Pabna are experiencing a sense of disappointment. Upon further investigation, it was discovered that there are additional challenges related to the excavation and removal of 5 kilometers of the Ichamati River, particularly within Pabna city. Numerous cases are being filed in the lower courts, accompanied by court-imposed restrictions. A month and a half ago, the number of cases stood at 98, but it has now escalated to 132. Consequently, the efforts to clean and remove waste, including sewage, from the urban section of the Ichamati River have commenced selectively, avoiding the restricted areas, starting from July 1; however, this process is currently progressing very slowly.
On-site observation revealed that an excavator is operating near the wall on the eastern side of Pabna Government Edward College. The river is being excavated, and the soil is being accumulated there. Furthermore, an excavator is clearing debris on the northern side of the Ichamati River culvert adjacent to the damaged Kalibari in the city. Currently, only one excavator is functioning near the Singa Bishwa Road Bridge and the Kadamtala Bridge. Initially, there were 20 excavators and around 100 garbage trucks working at four locations for this project, but now only five excavators remain active. The source also indicated that after the Pabna police raised concerns about the daytime transportation of this garbage, it is now being removed at night. This change was made because the garbage emits a strong odor when transported during the day, leading to dirty roads in the city and contributing to traffic congestion. However, a month ago, Superintendent Engineer of the Water Development Board, Shudhangsu Kumar Sarkar, informed the reporter that excavation work would proceed at a normal pace, except in areas within a 5-kilometer radius of the city where a court order prohibits it. Unfortunately, that work has ceased. Although contractors have been appointed for the construction or reconstruction of 23 bridges as part of this major Pabna Ichamati River project, there has been no visible progress on the bridges thus far. This situation is causing frustration among the residents of Pabna.
When asked about this, Pabna Ichamati River Restoration Movement President SM Mahabub Alam told the reporter, “We will soon join the movement with the people of Pabna. We will not accept any delay or delay in the work of this mega project to revive the Ichamati River. To speed up this work, we have already called for a huge human chain in front of the Pabna Press Club on Tuesday, August 26. I hope you will also be there.”
We know that the mega project of revitalizing the Ichamati River includes dredging of 110 kilometers of the river, construction of 10 kilometers of walkways on both banks of the river in the city, construction of retaining walls, removal of blocks, construction of drains, construction of 56 ghatlas and beautification by planting 42,310 trees. If implemented, Pabna will become a modern traffic-free and environmentally friendly city.
We also know that the work of this mega project of revitalization of the Ichamati River has been divided into a total of six slots and contractors have been appointed. The contractor company MS Ahad Builders is doing the excavation work and is being supervised by the 24 Engineer Construction Brigade of the Bangladesh Army. The deadline for the work has been set for 31 March 2027. Up to 1 thousand 554 crore taka has been allocated for this mega project of revitalization of the Ichamati River.
