Floods cause severe damage to roads in frontier Sunamganj

SYLHET, July. 29: Road link in frontier Sunamganj district is yet to become normal although waters have started receding from the area. Direct plying of vehicles remained suspended on the Sunamganj-Tahirpur upazila road as innumerable potholes and ditches have developed on places due to the prolonged inundation of the busy road connecting large frontier habitats in the neighbouring upazilas too. The road also connects the LC station at Barchhara and some tourist spots.

Tahirpur upazila Parishad chairman Karuna Sindhu Chowdhury said all the roads in the region have been damaged badly by the devastating floods. Locals are the worst sufferers while vehicles can't ply through the roads.

Still the roads on many areas remained under water, said a number of locals adding, visitors to the frontier tourist spots like Barektila, Jadukata, Tekergaht sites have already stopped arriving due to the pitiable state of the road link.

According to reports, 848- km on 279 roads in the district's rural areas had been damaged in addition to l 96 bridges and culverts. The damage by the devastation has preliminarily been estimated to be worth Taka 2.09 billion. Since still there has been water logged areas in different upazilas, the extent of damage would be larger, an official said.

Excessive rains coupled with rushing of waters from the neighbouring hills in Meghalaya had damaged 818- km on 175 roads of LGED in rural areas of the district. Besides, 96 bridges and culverts had been affected or damaged at places, the source said adding, the department had suffered the damage amonting over Taka 1.94 billion.

On the other hand, 30- km on 4 roads belonging to the Roads & Highways department (R&H) were badly affected as these remained inundated or gushing flood water rushed through these at places in the district. The damage had been preliminarily estimated to be worth taka 150 million.

Bituminous carpeting on most of the roads had gone washed away by the flood waters. On some places the roads had been damaged severely.

Initially there would be some emergency repair works on the affected roads, an official said. Major works may be done after making a final damage report, he added.

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