Mymensingh BSCIC roads in bad shape, drainage collapses

Almost all the roads of Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC) industrial area have become unusable as the drainage system of the area has collapsed.

Rainwater has remained stagnant on the main road for the last two and a half months, locals said, adding that it has been in a dilapidated state for the last several years.

BSCIC Estate Officer (EO) Md Aminul Islam said there are around 5,000 staff and workers of different factories in the lone industrial area here.

Mohammad Hobi, a guard of Ibrahim Flour Mill, said they cannot even walk out of their mill due to the pitiable state of the road where water remains stagnant even after light rain.

Another worker Tofael Mia said water enters the mill compound when the main road gets flooded after heavy rain.

Promedics Pharmaceuticals Production Manager Md Khalilur Rahman said the problem has been prevailing for around eight years and took a serious turn in the last two years as the drainage system of the area has collapsed. “We informed the BSCIC authorities several times about the matter, but no step has been taken as yet,” he added.

The daily Jahan Editor Prof Rebeka Yasmin said she has been virtually confined to her house for over two and a half months due to water-logging on the main road.

Workers said that they have been wading through ankle-deep or knee-deep water to go to work for the last several years and it costs twice the normal fare to go to their destinations.

 Aminul said a project of Tk 5 crore, including Tk 3 crore for construction of roads and improvement of the drainage system, has been submitted to the authorities concerned over three months ago, but no reply has been received yet.

BSCIC Deputy General Manager Shah Nuruzzaman said mobile courts have started drives against illegal structures built on the drains here.