Culvert collapse snaps communication of 30 villages in Tangail
Local people have been suffering immensely since a culvert on Basail-Natiapara road in Basail upazila collapsed about two weeks ago due to heavy pressure of floodwater, disrupting communication of at least 30 nearby villages with the upazila headquarters.
Locals said the water of Dakkhin Garamara Beel under Basail municipality was increasing for the last few days due to increasing water level on Jhinai and Banshi rivers.
At one stage, an important culvert on Basail-Natiapara road collapsed due to strong current of the floodwater on October 1.
As a result, communications between Adajan, Kanchanpur, Bilpara, Balina, Bhorpara and Habla villages under Basail upazila, Kurni, Fotepur, Patkhaguri, Mohera, Bhatkura and Adabari villages in Mirzapur upazila, and Natiapara and Borni villages in Delduar upazila with Basail upazila headquarters have been disrupted, causing immense sufferings to the villages.
Mohammad Ali, a resident of Basail upazila headquarters, said thousands of people of adjacent villages as well as hundreds of light vehicles use the road every day.
Moreover, local traders carry their goods to Dhaka through Natiapara, he added.
Ali said due to the situation, now people have to go to their destinations using alternative roads, spending both extra money and time, adding that they demanded immediate construction of a concrete bridge in place of the damaged culvert soon.
Basail Upazila Engineer of Local Government and Engineering Department (LGED) Rozdid Ahmed said the culvert, which was constructed in 1995 at a cost of Tk 5 lakh, was declared vulnerable recently.
They visited the spot and found the culvert was collapsed due to huge pressure of the floodwater, he said, adding that they have already sent a proposal to the higher authorities to construct a 20-meter-long concrete bridge in place of the damaged culvert.
Mentionable, a total of 328 roads and 73 bridges and culverts were damaged in 11 out of 12 upazilas of the district due to flood this year.
Of those, about 40 roads and seven bridges and culverts were damaged in Basail upazila.
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