Villagers use ramshackle bridge amid risk

A bridge for pedestrians and light vehicles on the Rayenda river at Rayenda Bazar in Sharankhola upazila has remained at risk of collapse as its iron pillars got badly damaged.

The condition of the bridge is so bad that it even shakes while people are crossing it, said Kamal Uddin Akon, chairman of the upazila parishad.

Local Government and Engineering Department (LGED) in 1997 built the bridge to maintain communication with the upazila headquarters for thousands of people in Khontakatha and Rayenda unions and since then it has not been repaired, said the chairman.

Fifteen years after construction of the bridge, it became very vulnerable as its iron pillars got damaged seriously, he said.

Despite repeated pleas, the authorities concerned are yet to take any steps to build a new bridge there, he said.

Local resident Nasir Uddin said people, especially school going children, are now crossing the vulnerable bridge at risk of life as it may collapse anytime.

Upazila LGED Engineer Chandan Kumar Chakrabortty said repair of the bridge has almost become impossible. It is necessary to build a new bridge there.