Little rain, big pain

Every day after college, Tanjina Khatun Tania walks to her home in Rajarbagh Gate area from Siddheswari. It takes her some 45 minutes.

She can take a rickshaw and save time but she won't. It's because the bumpy rickshaw ride on the way is nothing short of a nightmare for her.

The pothole-ridden streets near the capital's Malibagh intersection and its adjacent areas have been in appalling state for long, thanks to unending digging, construction materials of the Moghbazar-Malibagh flyover strewn all around, and chocked drainage system of the area.

After it rained in the last two days, things took a turn for the worst there. It only increased the suffering of thousands of people like Tania, an honours first year student at Siddheswari Girls' College. The weather department recorded 0.10 mm rainfall in the city yesterday.

“I can't walk along the footpaths because those have been dug. On the other hand, the roads are waterlogged,” said the girl, who had dirt all over her dress.

She could use the Bailey Road to avoid the hassle but she didn't. She has to attend coaching classes at Mouchak.

The condition of several other roads surrounding the Hajipara intersection, Malibagh and Moghbazar level crossings and in Rampura are poor as well, causing public suffering and affecting businesses.

Monirul Haque, who runs a stationery shop near the Malibagh intersection, said the number of customers at his shop dropped drastically in the last one week.

“We don't have relief in the summer as well. We have dust then,” he said.

The people in the area have been suffering badly since the construction of the flyover began at that point two years ago, he said.

Many other roads in several parts of the city like Rokeya Sarani, Razarbagh, Hazaribagh, and Jatrabari are in poor shape as well.

The ongoing work for the development of city drainage system, utility services and construction work of the metro rail are to blame, said locals.

In many cases, the authorities are taking more than the usual time, increasing public suffering, they added.

Recently, Dhaka South City Corporation Mayor Sayeed Khokon told the Daily Star that Wasa's drainage system had collapsed in the areas where the Moghbazar-Malibagh flyover was being constructed.

“We are going to hold a meeting with all relevant service providing organisations on Sunday [tomorrow] to solve the problem,” he said.

On March 30, 2015, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the first part, stretching from Saatrasta intersection to Shaheed Captain Mansur Ali Avenue (Moghbazar), of the 8.7km Mouchak-Moghbazar flyover.

In September last year, another part of the much-awaited flyover was opened to traffic. The work on the third and last part of the flyover covering Mouchak, Rajarbagh and Shantinagar is scheduled to end by June next.