10 Lalmonirhat bridges without approach roads
Ten bridges, constructed over canals and small rivers at different villages in four upazilas under the district one to four years ago, are still lying useless due to lack of approach roads.
Of the bridges, one was constructed by Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) at Balapara village, six by the Department of Disaster Management at Chinatuli and Panchagram villages in Lalmonirhat Sadar upazila, Purbo Shalmara and Kamlabari villages in Aditmari and Bhateshwar and Sholmari villages in Kaliganj upazila, three by the local union parishad (UP) at Dikri Char village in Aditmari, Dawabari village of Hatibandha and Kawamari village of Patgram upazila.
“The union parishad built a footbridge on the canal in mid-2016 but we cannot use it due to lack of approach road,” said Aktar Ali, 65, of Dikri Char village of Aditmari upazila.
“LGED built a bridge over the Sati river four years ago but no vehicles, not even rickshaws and bicycles, can move on it as approach roads are yet to be made,” said Afzal Hossain, 52, of Balapara village in Lalmonirhat Sadar upazila.
Mobarok Hossain, 48, at Purbo Shalmara village of Aditmari said the Department of Disaster Management built a bridge over a canal but it is lying useless due to lack of approach road.
Salekuzzaman Pramanik, chairman of Durgapur UP in Aditmari upazila, said approach roads for the foot over bridge at Dikri Char village would be built by December this year.
“The contractors concerned were not given their payment as they didn't complete the approach roads of the bridges. Approach roads would be completed hopefully by June next year,” said Mafizul Islam, disaster management department's project implementation officer in Aditmari upazila.
LGED Executive Engineer Zakiur Rahman said, “It was not possible to build approach road of the bridge over the Sati river at Balapara village as local land owners declined to sell their lands. We are still trying to convince the land owners to sell their lands to build the approach road.”
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