Flood damages 847km roads in Sunamganj
Floods have caused severe damage to most roads in all eleven upazilas of Sunamganj, suspending road communications between many upazilas including the district headquarters and Tahirpur.
The damage of infrastructure including roads, bridges and culverts in the district amounts to Tk 209 crores and the figure may rise when the final assessment is done after flood water recedes completely, according to Local Government Engineering Department (LGED).
So far, the LGED has assessed that about 817 kilometres of the district’s 275 roads have been damaged by the flood. In addition, the number of damaged bridges in the district now stands at 96. Total number of culverts assessed to have been damaged is 1,119.
Another 30 kilometres of roads in the district under Roads and Highways Department (RHD) were also assessed to be damaged by the flood.
The damage incurred by the LGED is estimated at Tk 194 crore, while it is Tk 15 crore by the RHD.
Most roads were damaged by torrential rain and surge of water from hills, while many other roads degenerated due to submersion.
As per the LGED, 185 km of road were damaged in Doarabazar upazila, 45 km in Shalla upazila, 60 km in Sunamganj Sadar, 126 km in South Sunamganj, 28 km in Derai, 168 km in Bishwambharpur, 16 km in Tahirpur, 6 km in Jamalganj, , 75 km in Jagannathpur, 50 km in Dharampasha and 58 km in Chhatak upazila.
Asphalt upper layer of most of these roads have been washed away. Many other roads have developed large craters and potholes all over.
Munem Mia, an auto-rickshaw driver in Tahirpur upazila, said the road damage is so extensive that vehicles are getting into accidents frequently.
LGED Senior Assistant Engineer in Sunamganj Anwar Hossain said roads in many upazilas are still under water and a more accurate assessment of damage would be possible only after the water recedes completely.
The repair work on the damaged roads would start after the authorities allocate necessary funds, he also said.
RHD Executive Engineer in Sunamganj Shafiqul Islam said Sunamganj-Sachna, Sunamganj-Kachirgati, Chhatak-Doarabazar and Anwarpur-Tahirpur roads are among the 30 km of damaged roads under RHD.
He also said his department already started urgent repair work on some of the roads and they would complete elaborate repair work on the roads once the flood situation improves.
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