The residents of the capital’s Uttara area are suffering as dilapidated conditions of the main thoroughfares disrupt the area’s traffic movement.
Potholes in the middle of the streets are adding to passengers’ woes and pedestrians sometimes stumble and fall into puddles of water during the rainy season.
Even if the rain lasts only an hour, it creates huge water logging in some areas. Sectors 8, 6, 10, Rajlakshmi are particularly affected.
The Dhaka North City Corporation had planned a two-phase repair project several months ago with the first scheduled to begin in October and the second in December last year. However, the work was halted because of political unrest and election.
Passengers have blamed lack of seriousness of the corporation officials for the delay in implementing the project.
Monir Uddin, a resident of sector 11, said: “It is really hard to travel on those roads. Some of the roads of Uttara are in a very poor condition and it will worsen during rainy season.”
Some of the roads remain vulnerable and did not have any repair work for years, he added.
CNG-run auto-rickshaw drivers and rickshaw, however, have taken advantage of the situation by raising their fares.
A passenger Sabrina Rahman said: “Usually rickshaw pullers charge higher fares for travelling on bumpy roads. Usually it takes Tk15 for travelling from sector 9 to 11, but the rickshaw pullers charge Tk25-Tk30.”
She added: “It becomes hard to negotiate a fair fare when it rains. Sometimes, it is tough to manage any vehicle if it rains as water fills the potholes, disrupting commuter movements.”
Patients, pregnant women and elderly people are the worst victims.
Although the DNCC authorities had undertaken a repair project, but the work was going on at snail’s pace as major roads remained unrepaired.
However, Brig Gen Md Abul Khair, DNCC chief engineer, said: “All of the works have been started on time. I never pass a single bill without visiting the place. We have to break some of the encroachments in some areas which were delaying the works.”
He added: “We feel afraid of talking to journalist. You do not understand anything and write whatever you want. You have to understand the system.”
He also said: “The Sonargaon Janapath was a four-lane road and now we have widened the road. The project will be completed soon. Our workers are working day and night to finish the work as soon as possible.”