Most of city roads in bad shape

The roads of the city’s Zigatola area were dug by Dhaka Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) in December last for development of sewerage system to free the area from perennial waterlogging.
Since then, people of the area have been facing serious problem in their movement as most of the roads of the area are yet to be repaired though the work for development of storm sewerage system in the area was finished several months back.
The rickshawpullers are reluctant to take passengers through these roads in the area because of their vulnerable condition. “Taking advantage of these damaged roads, the rickshawpullers charge double,” said Abul Hasnat Tuku, an official of a private firm and a resident of Zigatola area.
Like Zigatola, the people of others areas in the city have been facing the same problems in their movement as most of the city roads, lanes and bylanes are now in a dilapidated condition as the concerned authorities turned a blind eye to solve the problem, making traffic difficult and risky in the capital.
Side by side with a numerous number of potholes, mini ponds have been created on a number of roads in the city that are also responsible for severe traffic jam as well accidents in the capital.
Road digging work that started at the fag end of the just- concluded financial year has left many roads almost unusable in many areas of the city. Besides, the monsoon rains have aggravated the condition of the dug-up roads.
Even Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at a function recently expressed dissatisfaction over the deplorable condition of the roads in the capital.
While inaugurating Sultana Kamal Bridge at Demraghat in the city, the Prime Minister held Dhaka City Corporation responsible for bad shape of the city roads.
“I personally talked to the DCC Mayor to repair those roads considering sufferings of the people. But, no headway was made to this end so far,” she told the function.
Roads at Mirpur, Kazipara, Manipur, Shyamoli, Mohammadpur, Lalmatia, Kalyanpur, Zigatola, Rayerbazar, Lalbagh, Postogola, Jatrabari, Purbo Jurain, Badda, Basabo, Kadamtala, Madartek, Mugda, Sabujbagh, Gopibagh, Maniknagar, Rampura, Bansree, Khilgaon, Taltala, Razabazar, Tejgaon, Farmgate, Babu Bazar, Phulbaria, Islambagh, Gendaria, Badda, Basabo, Madartek, Mir Hajirbagh, Mogh Bazar, Mirbagh, Babu Bazar, Phulbaria lie in worst condition.
The city is witnessing accidents and severe traffic congestion most frequently because of the shabby roads.
The city corporation is supposed to recarpet the roads within 28 days after installing sewerage or water pipeline or telecom wires, but most of the dug-up roads have remained uncarpeted for months.
Experts say that roads without carpeting get extensively damaged because of frequent movement of heavy vehicles on them.
Most of the city’s some 2200km road stretches have developed numerous potholes with many manholes remaining open badly hampering the traffic.
Admitting the problems, Saber Hossain Chowdhury, who was elected parliament member from the city’s Sabujbagh-Khilgaon constituency, told BSS that he has already raised the issue in the Jatiya Sangsad.
“We are accountable to the city people for the problems as we have been elected lawmakers from the capital,” he said.
Saber called for allocating separate fund by the government for solving the problems and underscored the need for utilizing the fund properly.
When contacted, Dhaka Mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka denied the allegation that most of the city roads are unusable for traffic movement.
The mayor claimed that the DCC is carrying out road repair work regularly for smooth movement of the city people.
He, however, said the work for permanent repair of the city roads that are unusable for traffic movement would start after ending of the current monsoon.
“We are now only patching the roads on a temporary basis without using bitumen as permanent repair would not be effective because of rainwater during the current monsoon,” a DCC official said.

Courtesy of BSS via The New Nation