Photos show a drain of Jugipara road filled with garbage (left), Bajidpur road submerged in floodwater (top), and small and big holes on Nayanamati (middle) and Buder Bazar (bottom) roads in the Pabna town where lack of basic amenities hits civic life — FE Photos PABNA, July 03: Residents of Pabna town have long been deprived of the basic civic amenities since it started functioning as the municipality.
Built at the confluence of the Padma and Jamuna rivers, the town is the fourth largest in Rajshahi division and the fifth largest in the northern region. Pabna municipality was established in 1876 in an area of 27.20 square kilometers with a population of 0.174 million (1.74 lakh).
Despite Pabna being one of the large districts of the country, the town cannot provide the the residents with the civic amenities as good as they should be. For want of repair work for a long time, small and big potholes and ditches have developed in various parts of the roads. A majority of the roads in the Pabna municipal area have become impassable for the vehicles and a big safety concern as well as cause of immense suffering for the commuters.
Due to improper drainage system, sewerage pipelines get clogged with garbage, causing water stagnation in various parts of the roads, even after a short rainfall.
City-dwellers attribute these faulty states of the roads to lack of supervision and maintenance by the municipality authorities. They demanded that the authorities seek immediate remedies for the problems.
Especially, the Akkelersako-Cha_kpailanpur road, Jugipara road, Nayanamati-Cha_kpailanpur-Chadmari road, the road from Anti-Corruption Commission Office More up to Buder Bazar intersection, Shalgaria road, Graveyard Road of Shalgaria, Baliahalot-Aforia road and roads in Mojahid Club and Machumbazar areas are in very bad shape.
There is no end to people's suffering as water accumulates in many houses of these areas. A little rainfall submerges the Jugipara-Chakpailanpur road in knee-deep water.
The roads of Jugipara, Chakpailanpur and Bajidpur areas in wards no. 12 and 13 of the town are mostly found in extremely bad condition.
Due to lack of repair for a long time, small and big holes and trenches are created on the roads. Consequently, pedestrians and vehicles have to suffer acutely while passing these areas.
Local resident Torab Ali said when it rains, hundreds of families in wards no. 12 and 13 have to suffer the most. Residents, pedestrians and traders have to face trouble due to waterlogging on the roads.
Rickshaw pullers Abdul Alim and Shamser Ali, businessman Zillur Rahman and many people of Chakpailanpur, Nayanamati and Jugipara said they are ashamed to say that they live in a municipality area.
Residents of the area also said incumbent mayor and councillors have promised each time to fix the problems. But due to lack of effective measures, roads and houses get flooded in the slightest rain, they lamented.
Executive engineer of Pabna Municipality Md Nazmul Haque told The Financial Express, "Development of drainage system, road construction and other works are going on to alleviate waterlogging. About Tk 150 million (Tk 15 crore) has already been sanctioned for the project. Out of this, work costing Tk 50 million (Tk 5 crore) has been completed."
In this regard, Pabna municipality Mayor Md Sharif Uddin Pradhan told The Financial Express, "We are trying to collect funds to solve various problems of the municipality. Funding will solve these problems."
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