Dilapidated city streets spell misery for Khulna commuters

Dilapidated roads in Khulna are causing immense sufferings to city dwellers, who say 60 percent of roads are in poor condition due to lack of reconstruction and repair after development projects.

During visits to different roads last week, this correspondent saw potholes causing traffic disruptions. Commuters -- including students, officegoers and patients -- and drivers shared the suffering while using those.

The roads -- including Sonadanga-Notun rasta, BIDC, KDA Avenue, Daulatpur Sabujsanga Math, Islampur, Dolkhola Lane, Miapara, Tutpara Central, Rupsha Bridge, Bagmara Main, Nirala, Raipara and BK Main -- are in dilapidated condition.

Sankar Kumar Mollick, assistant professor of BL College, said, “Due to craters on roads, students sometimes lose interest to go to classes.”

Vehicles, especially heavy ones, have to struggle to pass through the roads, often taking longer than usual.

Tank lorry driver Arman Sheikh, who uses a road in Khalishpur to load oil from three state-owned oil depots, said, “Commuters falling off rickshaws or easy bikes is a regular occurrence.”

Locals termed BIDC Road a “deathtrap” in terms of its severity. Thousands of people use the road. Four state-owned jute mills and three state-own oil depots are situated by the road. Commuters stay in constant fear of accidents at any time.

Milon, a resident of Khalishpur, said, “Khulna Wasa is working on some of the roads for over three years. Those were in poor condition previously; they have made the roads worse.”

“The potholes are filled with rainwater during monsoon and dirt during dry season,” he added.

Sornali Golder, a student of Khulna Government Girls’ College, said a ride from Notun rasta to Boyra Bazar by rickshaws or easy bikes is unbearable.

“Wasa has been working to improve drainage but they are making the situation worse by leaving debris by the roads,” said Palash Das from Boyra.

“There is no good coordination between Wasa and Khulna City Corporation [KCC] to repair the dug up roads,” he added.

Kamaluddin Ahmed, deputy managing director of Khulna Wasa, denied the allegations, saying Wasa has repaired some roads, and paid KCC more than Tk 9 crore to fix the rest.

Admitting the facts, Md Liaquat Ali Khan, chief engineer of KCC, said repair works are going on.

Asked about the other roads in bad shape, he said Tk 600 crore was allocated for a mega project, feasibility study for which is going on.