Submerged road puts locals in peril

A section of the Bashirpur-Bazarchali road in Paschim Juri Union under Juri upazila of Moulvibazar has remained submerged for years, severely disrupting the daily movement of locals, particularly school- and college-going students.

Although the 2-kilometre road was upgraded in two phases -- one kilometre about six to seven years ago and the remaining stretch around four years ago -- poor soil conditions and lack of proper groundwork have led to significant portions of the road sinking shortly after construction.

On July 2, at least 200 metres of the road in the Krishnanagar area were found under knee-deep water, with surrounding low-lying lands also inundated. Around 10-15 school and college students were seen wading through the submerged stretch to reach their institutions.

"This place goes underwater every year around this time," said Bidya Rabidas, a ninth-grade student of Bashirpur-Krishnanagar High School and a resident of the Dhamai Tea Garden area. "When it rains heavily, we have to cross by boat, paying Tk 10 each time."

Locals also depend on the road for everyday commute and access to the upazila headquarters.

Shadhon Paul, a local, said although the initial work brought some relief, the road's condition deteriorated again within a few months of the second phase being completed. The affected portion has since remained vulnerable to waterlogging during the monsoon.

Ashok Ranjan Paul, headteacher of Durgapur Government Primary School, echoed him.

Contacted, LGED upazila engineer Jonayet Alam said, "I have visited the site recently. The soil beneath the road is not suitable for construction. Ideally, the clay layer -- 20 to 25 feet deep -- should have been removed and replaced with sand before construction. But such work is costly and couldn't be done with the available allocation."

"There are no plans for repair at the moment. If we receive further funding, we'll carry out the necessary work," he added.