Bridge that never saw renovation
School kids suffer most for it in Galachipa
This bridge connecting Gajalia and Dakua unions in Galachipa upazila of Patuakhali has become risky for lack of renovation since its construction 32 years ago.Photo: STAR
A bridge in Galachipa upazila has become risky for lack of renovation for long. The bridge connects Gajalia and Dakua, two unions under the upazila. Locals, including school going children, fear that the bridge may collapse any time causing them a lot of sufferings. Local sources said that the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) built the 240-meter -long bridge on Gajalia canal in 1979 to connect the two unions. Since then no repair or renovation work took place in the last 32 years. Following construction of the bridge, local people set up a market, now called 'Gazalia Bazar', on the western side of the bridge. Today there are over 50 shops in the bazar. Later, a government primary school, a community clinic, a madrasa were also set up around the market. Md. Hafizur Rahman, a village doctor of Gagalia, said most of the slippers of the bridge have already become worn-out and risky. A number of children on the way to school fell in the canal while crossing the bridge, he added. “We send our children to school by a boat now as they cannot cross the risky bridge.” Most pillars of the bridge have also broken making it vulnerable to accident anytime, Gazi Md. Eusuf, former UP chairman of Gajalia, told this correspondent. We submitted proposals to LGED several times demanding renovation the bridge but to no effect, he said. Contacted, GM Shahabuddin, upazila LGED engineer in Galachipa, said they prepared a project worth Tk 20 lakh for renovation of the bridge and sent it to the higher authorities for approval in last year. We couldn't start work as we are yet to get the approval and fund, he said.
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