Dev work makes daily life difficult
Nawab Sirajuddaula Road in the port city has been closed for over a month as a bridge is being constructed over a nearby canal. This is causing troubles for vehicles and commuters travelling from Chawkbazar to Anderkilla, as they have to face severe traffic on the diverted route beside Parade Maidan.
This road in front of Chawkbazar Post Office typically remains busy. On the spot, there is now a makeshift bamboo bridge over Chaktai canal for commuters to pass through. People were seen crossing the heavily crowded bridge with no scope for social distancing.
Meanwhile, a long tailback of vehicles were seen on the road beside Parade Maidan as all vehicles bound for Chawkbazar to Anderkilla and vice versa had to take the alternate route.
Many commuters expressed their dissatisfaction as the authority closed the road fully on the spot.
Tanmoy Sarkar, a banker, said the authority should have initiated the project during the shutdown last year when people were staying home.
"We have seen there is lack of planning in the development works undertaken by CCC. We saw earlier the construction of roads are done during the rainy season which creates public suffering, but the authority seems to be asleep in the dry season," said a frustrated Tanmoy.
Mohammad Hossain, a trader, was going to Boxir Hat from Bahaddarhat by a public transport that remained stuck for half an hour at Parade Maidan area. "One lane could have been kept open for commuters. Now this diversion is causing so much delay, I am about to miss an urgent task," he explained.
"We do not know when the work will be completed as there is no information on the spot," said Abdul Mannan, a retired schoolteacher, adding, "There's a rule that CCC would keep a signboard providing all information regarding any project it implements including the starting date, its tenure, cost of project and source of funds in the project site for the sake of transparency. Here we see no information and so we do not know when our sufferings will end."
This correspondent found the truth of Mannan's account as no signboard providing information of the project was seen while visiting the spot on Thursday.
Contacted, CCC executive engineer Farhad-ul-Alam, who has been entrusted to look after the project, declined to make any comment about the allegations.
He also declined to provide any information regarding the project.
However, sources in the CCC said the project is funded by Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) and it began last month.
The Tk 60 lakh project is supposed to be completed by June this year, they said.
Contacted, Anwar Hossain, CCC superintendent engineer, said the previous bridge over the canal was small and old and so it was necessary to build a new one there.
"The project has been initiated to relieve people from waterlogging," he said.
He said the temporary suffering would bring benefits in the long run once the project is completed.
Asked about pressure on a single route, Anwar said there are so many alternative routes in the area and the vehicles should take those routes.
Contacted, CCC chief executive officer Kazi Mohammad Mozammel Haque said CCC has been implementing the project as it was a longstanding demand from locals to elevate the height of the bridge and replace it with a new one to address waterlogging in the area.
Asked about people's worries and allegation about transparency of the project as no information of deadline was provided in the site, he said he would look into it.
He said the project couldn't be implemented during the shutdown as the beginning date of the project depended on sourcing and availability of funds.
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