Tk 20 Crore Road Falls into Disrepair Within Four Years, Potholes Turn It into a Death Trap
By Khalil Shikdar, Rupganj (Narayanganj)
A three-kilometre road in Rupganj, Narayanganj, built at a cost of nearly Tk 20 crore, has fallen into a dilapidated condition within four years. Large potholes, broken concrete and exposed reinforcement rods have caused frequent accidents. Even light rain causes waterlogging on several sections of the road, creating further suffering. Vehicles often become disabled after falling into potholes, while drivers say some have also overturned. Locals allege that the use of substandard materials, inadequate drainage and irregularities during construction have caused the important road to deteriorate within a short time. They have raised questions about the quality and cost of the construction work and demanded an investigation and legal action against those responsible. The nearly three-kilometre road from Gandharbpur Bara Bari on the Rupsi-Kanchan Road through Karngop to the Dhaka-Sylhet Highway is important for the industrial area of Rupganj. Several large and small factories are located on both sides of the road. A large number of workers, students, businesspeople and various vehicles use the road every day.
According to local sources, funds were allocated several times for construction of the three-kilometre road. In the 2020-21 fiscal year, Tarabo Municipality allocated around Tk 4.5 crore. Earlier, in the 2019-20 fiscal year, the Upazila Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) allocated Tk 2.90 crore. Later, in the 2022-23 fiscal year, the Upazila LGED allocated around Tk 6 crore, while Tarabo Municipality allocated another Tk 6 crore in the same fiscal year. After nearly Tk 20 crore was allocated in four phases, the Upazila LGED and Tarabo Municipality constructed a roughly 24-foot-wide CC and RCC road from Gandharbpur Bara Bari to Karngop. However, within a few years of construction, severe damage has appeared in various sections. A visit to the area found large potholes at several points. In some places, the concrete has broken away, leaving reinforcement rods exposed. Some sections have collapsed toward adjacent low-lying areas and pond slopes. Broken pieces of concrete are scattered across the road, and continued pressure from vehicle wheels is causing further damage. Locals allege that proper standards were not maintained during construction. They also say there is inadequate drainage for water disposal, causing water to accumulate on the road during the rainy season. They believe prolonged waterlogging has weakened the road base and accelerated its deterioration.
Disagreement has also emerged between the LGED and Tarabo Municipality over responsibility for repairing the road. Locals say the LGED tells them that some sections were constructed by the municipality and therefore those sections should be repaired by the municipality. On the other hand, the municipality says the main road falls under the LGED, while the municipality constructed some sections later. As a result, repairs have not been carried out for a long time, increasing public suffering. Tarabo Municipality Assistant Engineer Zakir Hossain said the road from Gandharbpur Bara Bari to the Dhaka-Sylhet Highway is listed as an LGED road, although some sections were constructed by the municipality. Around 40 percent of the road is currently damaged, he said, adding that the damaged sections need urgent repairs.
Rupganj Upazila Engineer Akhtar Hossain said the one-kilometre section from Gandharbpur was completed under the G-DV4 project in the 2019-20 fiscal year. Some sections were also constructed by the municipality. Since the remaining sections fall within the municipal area, those sections will be repaired by the municipality, he said.
Tarabo Municipality Administrator Saiful Islam Joy said the Gandharbpur Bara Bari-Karngop road is currently highly dangerous. Although it falls within Tarabo Municipality, the municipality does not currently have sufficient funds to repair the road. Therefore, a written request will be made to the LGED to start repair work on the road as soon as possible.
