Commuters' woe for years

The awful condition of the 15-kilometre-long Nagarkanda-Saltha road has been causing great suffering to the users for years.

Locals said thousands of people, including students, of Nagarkanda and Saltha upazilas use the road every day facing serious problems. The suffering is beyond description when they need to take a critical patient to hospital in the upazila or district headquarters, they added.

Of the road, three kilometres are under Nagarkanda Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) and 12 kilometres are under Saltha LGED, local people said. Three kilometres of the road under Nagarkanda and five kilometres under Saltha are in horrible conditions.

Mizanur Rahman of Nagarkanda upazila said the road could be used as a by-pass road to connect Nagarkanda and Saltha upazilas, saving both time and money, but its dilapidated condition does not allow that. He said now they are to travel around 23 kilometres more to reach Saltha upazila.

Nagarkanda NM Academy Headmaster Belayet Hossain said hundreds of students of his school face difficulties getting to the school, especially in the rainy season. He demanded immediate repair of the road.

Nagarkanda LGED Upazila Engineer Abdul Hannan said the road really is in an awful condition. He said they have sent a plan to the head office, which is waiting for approval.  

Saltha LGED Upazila Engineer Rahat Islam they would repair the big holes on the road as soon as possible even if the plan is not approved immediately.