The dredging of river Padma to prevent the scourge of riverbank erosion that rendered 5000 families homeless in the district will begin from today, reports UNB. A dredger was brought at the erosion affected area in Naria yesterday, said Acting Secretary of Water Resources Ministry in a press briefing at Naria Upazila Parishad office after visiting Kedarpur, Mulfatganj, Banstala areas. "To prevent river erosion permanently a riverbank protection project alongside nine kilometres of Zajira and Naria upazilas was approved in Ecnec meeting on January 2. The Tk 97crore project will be carried out 16km away from the Padma Bridge", he said.

"The scheduled completion time of the project was set year 2021. Currently the government is spending Tk 6 crore for putting Geo-bags on the riverbanks to minimise intensity of the erosion", he said. One dredger has reached in Naria and two others will also reach very soon, he added.