Vehicles ply the Sonargaon-Janapath Road in Uttara in the capital yesterday although tarmac is yet to be laid on the road's macadam surface.Photo: STAR

Slow progress in resurfacing streets after installation of underground water drainage pipes in Uttara Model Town spells suffering to the residents.
During a recent visit to Uttara, The Daily Star correspondents found a number of streets in sectors 3, 5, 7, 13 and 14 of Uttara in dilapidated condition.
In the wake of nagging waterlogging in Uttara, Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (Wasa) started the underground drainage work as part of its "Removal of Waterlogging in Dhaka" (RWLP) project.
Wasa started the first phase of the drainage work in January this year. The entire job is likely to be finished by 2010.
Even though Wasa completed its pipe-installation work in July, the road rebuilding work lies with the Dhaka City Corporation (DCC). Wasa blames the DCC for making delays in resurfacing the roads.
Talking to The Daily Star, Waliullah Sikder, project director of RWLP, claimed they completed their work by June but it is the duty of the DCC to do the rest of the roadwork.
Waliullah, also the superintendent engineer of Wasa drainage circle, said, "We completed 25 percent of the project in the first phase and we will do the rest in the coming years."
Nurul Amin, executive engineer of DCC Zone-10, said they have already started the road reconstruction work and they are hoping to complete their work by September 10.
However, a Wasa official said they have been dumping macadam on roads for the last 20 days and this job is scheduled to be completed by September 25.
On completion of laying the macadam and at the end of the monsoon season, they will lay the tarmac, he said.
He, however, said it would take a while to start resurfacing of roads since a certain period of time is required for the macadam to settle.
Residents of Uttara alleged that they have been experiencing difficulties for over six months as many roads are yet to be resurfaced and this is causing waterlogging and gridlocks on other roads.
"We face traffic jams on many roads especially in the morning," said SM Khaled, a resident of Sector-14.
"I thought the pipe installation work would have been finished within 2-3 months after starting. Six months have gone by and we are not getting any respite from the sufferings," he said.
"What would happen in Ramadan when long traffic jams are usual in the afternoon?" he said.
Motiur Rahman, a resident of Road-18 in Sector-3, said waterlogging on roads becomes a serious problem even after a light shower since the roads are in poor condition.
He said the waterlogging has also increased the mosquito menace.