An awful road in C'nawabganj

With large potholes and cracks, a 6.5 kilometre stretch from Bulonpur to Amnura on Chapainawabganj-Nachole road in Sadar upazila has been causing suffering to thousands of people for around one year.

Loaded trucks, passenger buses and other vehicles often get stuck in the large potholes on the road, which connects Naogaon and Nachole upazila with Chapainawabganj town.

Huge pressure of traffic, stagnant water and lack of proper maintenance by the authorities concerned are responsible for the awful condition of the busy road, said locals. Local traders also face problems in carrying goods by rickshaw vans and other vehicles through the road.

Traders of the area said there are many auto rice mills on both sides of the road. Movement of rice laden trucks creates large and small potholes that fill up with water even after a light shower, they added.

Mohammad Rubel of Shahibag in the town and a driver of a rice mill said they also face serious problems in driving the rice-laden trucks on the road.

Abdul Alim, a shop owner of Jamtala bazar, said they have been suffering for a long time due to awful state of the road. Roads and Highways Department (RHD) repaired the road on a temporary basis seven to eight months ago, but it did not last long he said.

Mohammad Touhiduzzaman, a trader, said people, especially rice millers, are frustrated as the authorities concerned do not maintain the road properly.

In Shibganj upazila, two kilometres of the Chapainawabganj-Sonamasjid highway near Sonamasjid land port is full of potholes, causing immense sufferings to the export-import businessmen and commuters.

Traders of Sonamasjid land port have been suffering for the last one year due to the awful state of that section of the highway near the land port, said Ekramul Haque, secretary of C& F Agents Association of Sonamasjid land port.

Chapainawabganj-Rajshahi and Chapainawabganj-Sonamasjid land port highways are okay, except for the two kilometre portion near Sonamasjid land port. Besides, regional roads are also not so bad.

District RHD Executive Engineer AZD Farhan Daud said the road has become damaged as the rice mills discharge water directly on the road, but the water cannot flow out as there is no drain along the Bulonpur to Amnura road.

The authorities concerned have allocated funds for repairing the 6.5-kilometre-long road and two kilometre part of the highway near Sonamasjid land port, and construction of a drain along Chapainawabganj-Nachole road.

“We will start repair work in the first week of the next fiscal year,” he added.