Re-excavation of 10.4 km Ichimari canal in Charghat brings relief in irrigation, hope for resolving waterlogging and employment.
Once known for its abundance of shrimp, the Ichimari canal in Charghat Upazila of Rajshahi was popularly known among locals as ‘Ichimari Canal’.
But over the years, silt accumulation filled up this canal connecting the Baral River and the Musa Khan River, stopping the water flow. At one point, the canal became known as the ‘dead canal’. This led to an irrigation crisis, waterlogging, and stagnation in agricultural production.
After a long wait, the re-excavation work of the 10.4 km long Ichimari canal has been completed. As a result, normal water flow has returned between the Baral River and the Musa Khan River.
Several thousand farmers are now hopeful that besides increased irrigation facilities, waterlogging will also be resolved. Local people have already started retting jute in the canal water.
According to Upazila administration sources, about Tk 2.83 crore was allocated for the implementation of the project in the fiscal year 2025-26 under the Employment Generation Program for the Ultra Poor under the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief.
The entire canal has been re-excavated from Jhaubona through the Baral River to the Musa Khan River in Nimpara.
Alongside the implementation of the project, banks of the canal have been preserved, the roads along the banks have been renovated, and two thousand trees have been planted on both sides.
In addition, 654 ultra-poor people have been given employment opportunities through screening. This has not only ensured development activities but also ensured income for poor people during the lean period.
Local farmer Abdul Kader said, earlier they had to go 13 kilometers away to ret jute. Now that work can be done in the canal next to their house. This has reduced both time and cost.
Another farmer Hanif Ali said, every year crops were damaged due to waterlogging in the monsoon. With the re-excavation of the canal, drainage will be easier. Alongside, he hopes that the production of indigenous fish will also increase.
Moslem Uddin, a laborer who worked on the project, said, “After working for almost a month, I was able to manage my family expenses. If this project was not there, I would have been unemployed for many days.”
Upazila Project Implementation Officer Farhad Latif said, through the re-excavation of the canal, the long-standing irrigation and waterlogging problems of farmers have been largely resolved.
At the same time, employment opportunities have been created. The project has been implemented following the government’s policy.
The most notable aspect of the project is the saving of government money. After completing the scheduled work and meeting necessary expenses, Charghat Upazila Nirbahi Officer Jannatul Ferdous returned the unused Tk 25.40 lakh to the government treasury.
Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Jannatul Ferdous said government money is a public trust. There is no scope to spend even a single taka beyond necessity.
Through proper planning, transparency and regular supervision, it has been possible to complete quality work within the allocated budget. The unused money has been returned to the government treasury.
Locals expect that if regular maintenance of the canal is ensured, it will play an important role in the long term in agricultural production, conservation of fishery resources and maintaining ecological balance.
