Broken bridges woe for villagers

Six bridges over Badura canal in Shankorpasa union under Pirojpur Sadar upazila have been lying broken for over seven years, causing immense sufferings to people.

Of them, the most important bridge at Badura Fish Landing Station collapsed in 2017 disconnecting the fish landing station and Parerhat bazar.

As a result, the sea fish business is being hampered alarmingly as wholesale fish buyers have to use boat to reach the fish landing station amid risk of accident. This mood of transportation is costly too.

Other bridge at Mallik Bari Bus Stop also has remained damaged for over seven years. Several thousand people and students use the bridges every day but no step has been taken yet to repair it.

Finding no other alternative, the villagers have built bamboo bridge to cross the canal.

Another bridge at Shankorpasa village has been lying damaged for years, causing untold sufferings to locals. A bamboo bridge is the only means to cross the cannel there.

Two bridges in Jhawtala area have remained damaged for eight years. Thousands of people as well as students use the bridges to reach Pirojpour town and different schools daily.

"As the bridge on the seven-kilometre-long canal has been lying broken for long, we cannot drive our vehicles to home," said Mohammad Bellal from Badura village in the upazila.

"Although half of the union has remained disconnected for years, the authorities concerned don't pay any heed to our sufferings," said local resident Mohammad Mostofa.

Locals added that women, elderly people and children are the worst sufferers of the damaged bridges. They are facing difficulties to go to Pirojpur town and their other destinations.

Harashit Sarkar, Pirojpur Sadar upazila engineer, said the condition of mostly iron bridges in the upazila is the worst as they are over 20 years old.

He also said that 51 damaged iron bridges have been included in a development project proposal. Of them, the tender process of 19 bridges has been completed.