Communication on verge of collapse
About two lakh people of 6 villages in Patuakhali's Dashmina worried over road link
Around two lakh people of six villages are very worried as the only road connecting Dashmina upazila headquarters is on the verge of collapsing into the Gopaldi river.
Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWD) built the embankment along the Gopaldi river in the 1990s to protect Alipur and Ronogopaldi unions. Later on, Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) built a 9.58 km carpeted road on the embankment to connect both unions with Dashmina upazila headquarters in 2011-2012 fiscal year at a cost of around Tk 8 crore.
Since then, people of both the unions have been using the road to go to the upazila headquarters. But the road is now under threat of erosion and 65 metres have already been washed into the river at Burikanda.
This correspondent recently saw the collapsed portion of the embankment cum road.
People of Uttar Rongopaldi, Khalishakhali, Golbunia, Guli and Jouta villages are using the road cautiously and heavy vehicles cannot ply it, said Rezaul Karim of Burikanda.
Erosion becomes serious during full moon and new moon, when high tide level rises more than normal, he said. “We are afraid that the road may collapse any time,” he added.
Ronogopaldi Union Parishad Member Monir Hossain said people of the six villages are worried that communications with the upazila headquarters might be snapped any time. Erosion will also affect students as some primary schools, high schools and colleges are situated in the area, he said.
Ronogopaldi UP Chairman ATM Asadul Haque said people of the villages are suffering as a portion of the road has collapsed.
“We urged the authorities concerned to take immediate steps to protect the road as well as the dyke ,” he said.
LGED Upazila Engineer Md Jahangir Hossain said they are taking steps to repair the six-km road. “We will repair the road if WDB repairs or rebuilds the eroded areas,” he said.
Patuakhali WDB Executive Engineer M Hasanuzzaman said LGED is maintaining the road. “We have already submitted a proposal in this regard and will start the work after getting approval from the higher authorities,” he added.