The collapse of half a kilometer of road in the Ghighat area of the Kaliganj Char Sindur-Kapasia road has put the houses of at least thirty families in the Sanatan community's Rabidas Para, located near the banks of the Shitalakkhya River, at risk.
The road has been damaged due to continuous rain over the past few days.
Evidence of the collapse was observed on-site at Ghighat around 10am on Tuesday.
Raihan Khan, the sub-divisional engineer of the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) in Gazipur, stated that the road's collapse due to the heavy rains has caused significant difficulties in transportation.
“Our team has already visited the damaged area, and we will take necessary measures to repair the road as soon as possible to make it passable again,” he added.
Parul Rabidas, the vice-president of the Ghighat Sangha Mitra Puja Mandap, warned that if immediate measures are not taken to prevent the collapse, all the houses of thirty families, including the puja mandap, could fall into the river.
Masud Alam Sarkar from Taraganj Naseraghar expressed concern that the entire Ghighat area of the road is now precarious.
Nipa Rani Das, a student at the local Naserah High School, mentioned that her school attendance has been disrupted. "I can't go to school, just like many others. How can we reach school when the road is closed? There is no alternative route."
Businessman Parag Ahmed from Raniganj Bazaar noted that the Char Sindur-Kapasia road is the only route for transporting goods from Narsingdi. Since last Saturday, traffic on this road has been halted, leading to financial losses for businesses.
Mofiza Akhtar from Taraganj village expressed concern upon hearing about the road's collapse, stating that it would cause them significant hardship. "We also rely on the crops we grow along the riverbank. How will we eat if we can't cultivate?"
Local resident Ganesh Rabidas, son of Lal Mohon Rabidas, lamented: "Our homes are all going into the river. The bank has eroded nearly 30 feet into the river."
Some residents wishing anonymity reported that there had previously been illegal sand extraction from the Shitalakkhya River. For years, sand was lifted and sold from this area, and this illegal dredging has contributed to the road's collapse, causing considerable hardship for those using it.
Main Uddin, an engineer from the Kapasia Upazila, stated that he has visited the site and informed the higher authorities of the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) about the collapse. Necessary steps will be taken soon to repair the damaged area.
