Ichhamoti River flowing through Pabna town has narrowed down to a canal as unscrupulous people have grabbed over 60 acres out of 84-acre river areas in the town during the last several decades. After takeover of the present caretaker government in January last year, the district administration demolished several illegal structures beside the river and fresh survey also started to recover the river areas but the task seems tough as many illegal occupiers have already made land documents. Following a Tk 16-crore project for dredging the river and decorating the banks, Pabna Municipality in December last year launched the first phase dredging work but the work was later stopped due to over-silting in the river. "In December last year, we started dredging in 2.85 km of Ichhamoti River at a cost of Tk 1.80 crore but the work had to be suspended due to massive silting in the river. Besides, dredging machines are failing to operate in many places of the river as there are huge structures,' Md Tabibur Rahman, executive engineer of Pabna municipality, told this correspondent over phone. If the river is dredged following the DS map, it will get back the original shape, he said. According to the DS record, there were over 84 acres of lands in Ichhamoti River under the municipality area but the present the RS record shows that the existing river in the municipality covers only 24 acres, official sources said, adding that at least 60 acres of lands have been grabbed during a long period. "Following the RS record, 284 illegal structures of the municipality area were detected earlier. A drive was launched in last year, demolishing 210 illegal structures. But following the RS record, the river areas could not be recovered as most of the grabbers earlier completed the official land documents with the help of corrupt officials,' Pabna Sadar Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Md Abdul Hakim told this correspondent over phone. "If we attempt to demolish all the structures according to the DS map, the grabbers will try to take legal steps as most of them have already completed preparing official documents for the occupied river lands,' the UNO said. "Survey work has started again to detect the river lands according to the DS record to recover the grabbed lands. It is, however, a lengthy process,' said Additional Deputy Commissioner (Revenue) Md Saidur Rahman. Contacted, officials of Pabna settlement department said they have already completed surveying in 5 out of 10 mouzas of the river. A committee has formed including five government officials from LGRD, Water Development Board, Pabna District Board, Pabna Deputy Commissioner's Office and Pabna municipality to monitor the dredging work in the river. Pabna District Board has also taken initiative for setting up parks on the riverbanks but the work is slowed down for want of sufficient lands along the riverside. Pabna Water Development Board has submitted a Tk 24 crore plan for dredging 26 kilometres of the river outside the municipality area, said Pabna WDB Assistant Director Md Mosharaf Hossain. Originated from the Padma, Ichhamoti River joins the Jamuna in Hurasagar. Linking Padma and Jamuna, two major rivers of the country, Ichhamoti once had a great influence upon the economy, agriculture and the life of people of Pabna district.