<i>A walk thru' hell and back</i>

Locals and students of several institutions demonstrate on the capital's Jatrabari-Demra road yesterday, interrupting traffic for hours. They demand immediate repair of the road that has been in a mess due to excavation for laying utility lines and a flyover construction. Photo: Banglar Chokh

They say one must exercise daily for better health. Keeping that in mind, a walk from Jatrabari to Sayedabad is exactly what the doctors prescribed. The construction of the Mayor Mohammad Hanif flyover has narrowed the main road to such a limit that pedestrians must limbo through the frameworks of the under-construction monstrosity to avoid the approaching vehicles as well as the waterlogged potholes of the sidewalk. And all this while keeping a balance on the mud creases on the sidewalk due to constant drizzles in the past few days.
Nawaz Hossain, a student of Jatrabari Ideal School, explains why he prefers following other pedestrians in the morning rather than taking a bus. "It is unthinkable to travel by bus if I want to make it to school on time. I usually get off the bus by Dania and walk the rest of the way. It would take me an extra 20 minutes if I stayed on the bus," he said.
Indeed, the scene at 7:00am illustrates how the main road can barely accommodate two buses side by side.
The worst case scenario is if one takes the route from Rajdhani Supermarket, Swamibagh, which is one of the ends for the flyover. Office goers are stuck for a good 40 minutes due to haphazard repair and construction.
Titas has its own agenda of underground repairing and reconstruction starting from Janata Police Box all the way to Golapbagh. Mohammad Sabbir, a local resident of that area, mentions, "It's been almost 25 days and I see no sign of its being wrapped up any time soon."
The toll of all this has its impact off the main roads as well. Shekhdi in Shonir Akhra had sewage water overflowing, which caused local small businesses to salvage their goods by any means possible. A refrigeration repair shop had all of its items placed above four layers of bricks to avoid flooding.
Salam Ahmed, owner of the shop, elaborates, "The Wasa and Titas people could not bother to clear up the drains around our area once their construction was done. Now they are all clogged and we are left to suffer after every rainfall."
There are ditches all over Dania bazar due to ill-planned digging by several utilities authorities that block the roads completely. Shoppers and commuters must cross balancing on bamboos tied together.
Khadija Begum, who lives in the residential area adjacent to the bazar, had her two-room house flooded with most of her belongings placed above bricks and high furniture. The worst part of it is that her open kitchen goes under sewage water every monsoon season.
She explains, "I asked my landlord to put the kitchen up on a platform so at least I don't have to worry about cooking. He does not budge. The rich cannot worry about us. All this construction is to accommodate them, but it's we who must suffer because we live here."
It was the same old song and dance around Wari, Folder Street and Thatari Bazar as well. The locals have laid bricks around Joy Kali Mandir to cover the several potholes and ditches.
There are many accounts of sufferings due to uncoordinated construction and repair, but no one has been able to come up with any idea of the time by when the work will be wrapped up and public sufferings ease, at least even partially. With Ramadan just begun, this horror show can only get worse.