The threat of rain triggered by Cyclone Dana has prompted the North 24-Parganas district administration to begin a dredging operation on a 2km stretch of the Ichhamati river in Baduria's Charghat gram panchayat area, which has been waterlogged for over a month, paralysing the lives of some 10,000 residents.

"We are dredging the river to provide immediate relief to the residents of Charghat, Saguna, Govindapur and Tepul Mirzapur villages, which have remained trapped in floodwaters for over a month. We are carrying out the operation on a war footing as Cyclone Dana is expected to trigger rain that would worsen the situation for around 10,000 villagers," said an official of the district administration.

The four flooded villages are part of the district's Swarupnagar block.

Incessant rainfall before Durga Puja had triggered severe flooding in the four villages. Multiple efforts to drain out water failed. Heavy silt accumulation in the riverbed foiled draining floodwater into the Ichhamati and banks of the river stayed waterlogged.

After persistent appeals from villagers, the district administration initiated a ₹70 lakh dredging project, which marks the first phase of the effort to alleviate the situation.

In this phase, silt is supposed to be removed from a 2km stretch of the riverbed between Charghat and Sarapool, an official of the district administration said. Dredging machines are in operation, offering some hope to the villagers.

The work, which began on Monday, provided a glimmer of relief to villagers, who believe that once the dredging is complete, similar flooding will no longer occur.

“We've endured severe hardship for over a month. Our daily lives have been paralysed by waterlogging. We’ve had to wade through water just to carry out everyday tasks, which has led to skin infections and waterborne diseases. Our children couldn’t attend private tuition. Closure of schools in the festive season was a blessing in disguise,” said Bandana Biswas, a homemaker from Charghat.

"I hope the dredging will finally free us from this ordeal," she added.

However, the expected landfall of Dana, along with heavy rain early on Friday increased worry in the administration and that prompted them to expedite the work.

Some villagers also took matters into their own hands to build makeshift drainage channels to connect with the Jamuna canal and drain out stagnant water.

“We asked fellow villagers to dig channels so the stagnant water could drain into the Jamuna canal,” said Sadananda Biswas, a resident.

“The root of our problem lies in the heavily silted Ichhamati riverbed. Over the years, silt accumulation has drastically reduced the river’s depth. Even minor showers cause the river to overflow, leading to chronic waterlogging,” said a villager.

An official from the district administration said: “This long-awaited dredging project will not only bring relief to the waterlogged villagers but also rejuvenate the river. Some 500 fishermen who depend on the Ichhamati for their livelihood will also benefit from the dredging.”

But with Dana approaching, the irrigation department is racing against time to complete the dredging.

“We’re working at full speed ahead of the looming threat of the cyclone. We fear a repeat of flooding unless we can drain out water quickly,” said an irrigation department official.