Crores spent, but Ctg roads still crumble

Commuters in Chattogram are enduring severe hardships due to the appalling condition of major roads, a crisis worsened by the apparent indifference of the authorities.

Ongoing sewerage line construction by Chattogram WASA during the monsoon has left roads riddled with potholes and ditches.

According to Chattogram City Corporation (CCC), the city has 1,442 kilometres of roads, 1,300km of which fall under its jurisdiction. Most are now in disrepair, causing immense suffering for residents.

Over the past decade, CCC has launched at least six road repair projects, completing five. In total, Tk 4,086.77 crore was spent on roads, footpaths, and repairs through both projects and its own funding.

CCC engineers blame heavy rains and frequent WASA excavations, while urban experts point to substandard construction and inadequate drainage as the root causes.

Swapan Kumar Palit, professor of civil engineering at Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology (Cuet), said the port city's poor drainage system causes roads to remain submerged during the monsoon.

One of the worst-hit roads is the Port Connecting (PC) Road. Renovated and carpeted over six kilometres at a cost of Tk 180 crore in 2022, it deteriorated within 18 months due to heavy traffic and repeated digging by WASA and the Chattogram Development Authority (CDA).

A visit to the 2km stretch from Nimtala Biswa Road to Boropol revealed a deplorable state.

On one side, CDA is building ramps for the elevated expressway; on the other, WASA's sewerage project has torn up the road. Bricks used for temporary coverage have broken apart under heavy vehicles and rainfall, forcing trucks, trailers, and passenger vehicles to sway dangerously while avoiding potholes.

The situation is similar on Strand Road, connecting Barik Building to Sadarghat, where thousands of goods-laden trucks pass daily.

Similar situation prevailed on Fakir Mohammad Road, Kabir Ahmed Soudagar Road, Akmal Ali Road, Pran Hari Das Road, and several roads in Halishahar, along with Abdul Hamid Road in Shulakbahar, Nur Ahmad Road, Jubilee Road, Ambagan Road, the stretch from Probartak Mor to Gate No-2, CDA Avenue, KB Aman Ali Road, and Ishan Mohajan Road, are also in poor condition. Travel through CEPZ, Karnaphuli EPZ, the Customs area, and Patenga Sea Beach via Airport Road.

Omar Faruk, a private jobholder from Nimtala, said the condition of PC Road is worsening due to ongoing construction works. "Like me, passengers suffer daily, and traffic jams during rush hours are now routine," he said, adding that the stretch from Nimtala to Taltala is particularly hazardous.

Fazlul Karim Manik, a trader from Bahaddarhat, said small roads and lanes in his area are damaged due to torrential rains and frequent digging. "Even a short rickshaw ride is bumpy," he added.

Other damaged roads include Jamal Khan, Shaheed Saifuddin Khaled, CDA Avenue, Shah Amanat Bridge Link, Arakan, Muradpur-Oxygen, Bayezid, DT, Halishahar, Kapasgola, and Alkaran.

Locals say peeling bitumen and deep potholes have made commuting a nightmare.

Ahsan Khaled, joint secretary of the Chaktai Shilpa and Traders Association, said traders have been suffering for seven to eight months as roads like Madhyam Chaktai and Rajakhali are in the worst condition.

"Nearby Mokbul Soudagar Road and Sobhan Soudagar Road are muddy and broken. At least five roads in the market area are in similar shape, and they're used by vehicles coming from Khatunganj," he said.

Chattogram City Corporation Chief Engineer Anisur Rahman said the mayor has instructed the immediate restoration of damaged roads.

"Rain and construction works by CDA and WASA have damaged many main roads, but we are working on repairs," he said.

Mohammed Ariful Islam, project director of Package-1 of Chattogram WASA's STP, said, "We have already paid 82 crore takas to the city corporation to permanently repair the roads where our work is complete. We have held coordination meetings and are implementing the project with the CCC's cooperation.

"In areas where roads are completely unusable, we are covering them with bricks or, in some cases, casting concrete at our own expense. If the city corporation carpeted the roads immediately after we finished, people would not have to suffer so much."

CDA Elevated Expressway Project Director Mahfuzur Rahman told The Daily Star, "We had excavated the roads and later repaired them after completing the work. We did not take any permission from the CCC. For the elevated expressway construction, we re-carpeted the roads that were damaged during the process."

  He added, "We also re-carpeted roads damaged during the construction of the expressway ramps. In the Nimtala area, we recently carried out carpeting after completing our work, but now WASA's construction is underway there, and they have damaged the road again. We are not responsible for that."