Hakaluki road in bad shape
The awful condition of the two-kilometre-long Rasulganj-Shasarkandi road at Hakaluki haor in Kulaura upazila has been causing great suffering to commuters as vehicles have not been able to use the road since June in 2017.
Locals said thousands of people, including students in the upazila and Fenchuganj upazila of Sylhet, need to use the road every day, overcoming serious problems. The suffering of critical patients is beyond description when they have to go district headquarters.
On a recent visit to the site, this correspondent found a number of potholes on the road. In some places more than 90% of the road had collapsed, creating big ditches.
CNG autorickshaw driver Md Sheful Ahmad told this correspondent that he takes students and passengers up to the broken section but does not cross it for fear of damage to his vehicle.
Darach Mia of Shasarkandi village said most of the two-kilometre-long Rasulganj-Shasarkandi road collapsed during the flood in 2017, and the carpeting was washed away. Since June in 2017, the water level in Hakaluki haor has risen and many places on the road have become submerged, he said.
Shimul Mia, a trader of Shasarkandi bazar, said accidents occur regularly and many vehicle owners have stopped operating on the road to avoid damage to their vehicles.
Bhukshimoil Union Parishad member Hossain Khan said people of Barkkuri, Kamaura, Bhatera union, Naogaon, Shasarkandi, Bhukshimoil union, Sylhet, Brahmanbazar and Moulvibazar use this road.
He contacted the union parishad chairman and everyone gave assurance that the road will be repaired, Hossain said, adding that no action has been taken in14 months. The roads have been so badly damaged that there is no scope for the villagers to repair it, he said.
“The road connects Bhatera union with Bhukshimoil union. I have erected bamboo fencing on different parts of the road to protect it from waves, but to no avail,” said Bhukshimoil Union Parishad Chairman Azizur Rahman.
The road has become unfit for vehicular movement due to lack of repair, he added.
“We tried to protect the road with sand-filled sacks, but it could not be saved. This road will require site protection,” said Kulaura upazila Local Government Engineering Department Deputy-Assistant Engineer Shariful Haque.
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