Residents of Kalikoir upazila in Gazipur are suffering immensely as Safipur-Majukhan, Safipur-Boroibari, Mouchak-Phulbaria-Maona, Boroipara-Jalshuka-Chandaboho and Kaliakoir-Phulbaria roads have become unfit for traffic movement.
Locals said the recent downpour and lack of repair and maintenance have severely damaged the roads, causing frequent road accidents as well as fatalities.
Locals said carpeting was done on the Safipur-Majukhan last year. The road was in an awful condition as crates and potholes had developed on it for lack of renovation.
The condition of the roads is deteriorating every day because of plying of heavy traffic and negligence of authorities concerned in renovating these roads.
Residents of Ratanpur, Majukhan, Phulchala, Kainara, Kouchakuri, Jhenjichala, Bhanmara, Laskarchala and Amdair villages are the worst suffers of the dilapidated state of the roads.
Nazrul Islam, an executive at human resources department of Mahmud Jeans Ltd, told the Dhaka Tribune that commuters were suffering severely as thousands of potholes had developed on the Safipur-Boroibari road.
“Transportation of my factory goods are hampered, but the Roads and Highway department did renovation of the road a few years back despite being informed several times about the repair of the road.”
Goods-laden trucks frequently get stuck on potholes that causes long tailback on the road, he added.
Ismail Hossain, a trader at Bhanmara village under Kaliakoir upazila, said a 10-minute ride on the Safipur-Majukhan road from Safipur Bazar to Ratanpur Rail Station takes up to almost two hours.
Golam Yeasin, a teacher of Atabor Government Primary School, told the Dhaka Tribune that many portions of Kaliakoir-Phulbaria road went under knee-deep water because of poor drainage system.
He said: “Locals put brick chips on the damaged portion of the road so that traffic could run through the road.
He urged the Roads and Highway department to take immediate measures to repair these roads as soon as possible to ease sufferings of commuters.
When contacted, Deputy Assistant Engineer of Local Government Engineering Department Zillur Rahman told the Dhaka Tribune that they had informed the higher authorities about the importance of repairing the roads.
He hoped that they would be able to start renovation of the roads by November-December this year.
