Cracks on newly renovated road

Only three months after completion of renovation work, the two-kilometre-long road stretching from Kadamtola Bazar to Tanmeuhari village in Sunamganj’s Dharmapasha upazila developed several cracks at different places.

On April 28, people in Lamameuhari village first spotted the crack on the newly-renovated road.

Locals said the two-kilometre road is the only way of communications for nearly half a lakh people of Sukhair Rajapur North union, South union and Dharmapasha Sadar union.

In the dry season, most of the people of those unions go to the district headquarters using the road, locals said, adding that around 200 vehicles like motorcycles, rickshaws and easy-bikes ply the road everyday.

Traffic movement on the road has become very risky since a 25 to 30 feet crack was spotted on it on April 28.

During a recent visit to the area, this correspondent saw cracks have developed at different points on the newly renovated road and in many places, sand is used to cover the damaged portions.

Abdul Motalib of Lamameuhari village said, “I don’t live here and I came here only a couple of days ago. But, I’ve been noticing the bad condition of the newly repaired road since I came home four or five days back.”

Kajal Mahmud, a resident of Ghulua village, said since the start of the road repair work, locals have been protesting the low quality work and also informed the authorities concerned about the anomalies, but to no avail.

Last year, Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) floated a tender to renovate the two-kilometre road from Ghulua Kadamtola Bazar to Tanmeuhari area.

Contractor Emdadul Haque was given the work order as the lowest bidder to complete the carpeting and repair work at a cost of Tk 44.80 lakh.

Contractor Emdadul said he started the road repair work in the first week of December last year and finished the work in the last week of January this year.

When asked about the alleged low standard work, he said there were no irregularities in the repair and it was renovated as per schedule.

Sukhair Rajapur South Union Parishad Chairman Amanur Raja Choudhury said the road is very important for locals as it is the only way for thousands of people of three unions to go to the district headquarters.

LGED Deputy Assistant Engineer Monirul Islam Munshi said the road is close to the Kangsha river, which was dredged three to four years ago.

He said portions of the road might have developed cracks due to erosion by the river. LGED Upazila Engineer Shah Mohammad Abdul Wadud said he wasn’t aware of the bad condition of the road.