Potholed roads woes for Pabna, Manikganj commuters

One key road in Ishwardi upazila of Pabna district and a few others in Manikganj municipality have fallen into disrepair with innumerable potholes developing making them impassible for the regular commuters.
Travelling has become difficult, with asphalt, bricks, stones and gravels coming off the roads largely important for public use.
Our Pabna correspondent reports: The 17-kilometre road passing through Lakshmikunda and Pakshi unions on the banks of the Padma River in Ishwardi upazila has been plagued by countless potholes, slowing traffic and causing frequent accidents.
The dilapidated condition of the road has left at least 70,000 to 100,000 people of 15 villages dependent on it in distress.
According to relevant sources, it had been earlier a river protection dam and was later converted into a road.
Getting riddled with big potholes in many places, it has now become a death trap and is now barely recognisable as a road, many of the locals say.
Even light vehicles like rickshaw, van and CNG-run auto-rickshaw face difficulties in crossing the road.
Therefore, many of the local residents have to reach their destinations by travelling on longer alternative roads.
In addition, farmers in the char areas are most affected by this deplorable condition of the road. They face extreme difficulties in taking their agricultural produce to the markets.
Many farmers sell produce to wholesalers at comparatively lower prices in fields to avoid the hassle of carrying goods on the broken road. This causes them financial losses.
The Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) constructed this one-lane paved road in the 1990s with the assistance of the Water Development Board (WDB).
In 2014, it was widened to 18 feet and converted into a two-lane road under the supervision of the Roads and Highways Department (RHD).
This road was first under the supervision of the WDB, then under LGED, and currently it is under the jurisdiction of the RHD. Since 2019, the road has been left unfit for vehicular movement.
Local residents said that people from 15 villages including Laxmikunda, Kamalpur, Nurullapur, Charkatra, Baharampur, Pakuria, Rooppur, Charruppur, Dadapur, Kaikunda, Bilkedar, Charkurulia in Ishwardi upazila and Charbhabanipur in Pabna Sadar upazila, travel on this road built on the embankment. Shimu Khatun, a class XII student of Pakuria School and College, said, "Our college is nearby this road. We have to go to college passing through this road every day. The road is now in such a condition that vehicles cannot ply. When it rains, it is impossible to travel on foot in the mud and water. Many times, clothes of college students get ruined in the mud. This road needs to be repaired on an urgent basis."
Large potholes have been created on the road. As a result, auto-rickshaws, rickshaws and motorcycles are no longer able to ply it. Only trucks and 10-wheeler trucks are plying. Sometimes these trucks also overturn and get stuck in the potholes.
Laxmikunda Union Parishad member Ziaul Islam told the FE, "There is no condition for vehicles to move on this road. There is no pitch anywhere on this road that has been paved. Big potholes have developed all over the road. The Union Parishad does not have the money to repair this road. I have contacted various departments including the Roads and Highways Department. No one has responded. No one wants to cooperate in the construction of this road. No one wants to take responsibility."
A correspondent from Manikganj writes: The vulnerable condition of a number of roads in Manikganj town hardly reflects its standard as a highly-developed municipality.
Manikganj municipality, established in 1972 and upgraded to a first-class municipality in 1997, is home to nearly 250,000 people today.
Of the 122 kilometers of paved roads and 175 kilometers of unpaved roads, almost none receive regular maintenance.
Most of the roads are broken, filled with potholes, and during the monsoon, they remain submerged, causing immense suffering for residents.
Locals report that while occasional repairs are done, the roads quickly deteriorate to their original state within a year. They demand sustainable projects that can make the roads lasting for at least 10-15 years.
Residents also emphasise that without an improved drainage system, a permanent solution will not be possible.
A recent visit across several areas of the municipality revealed the dire condition of the roads.
From Porra, Reserve Tank, and Seuta to Beutha, Dashora, and the bus stand area, almost every ward suffers from the same problem. In many places, the bitumen has worn away, leaving large holes filled with dirty water. Ineffective drainage means that even a small rainfall leads to waterlogging. Rickshaws, vans, and motorbikes still ply these roads, but passengers often have to get down midway, while pedestrians face even greater hardship.
Atia Sultana, a school teacher, said, "Our Porra area road becomes submerged after a little rain. Hundreds of students have to use this road to reach Porra Model Government Primary School, Khan Bahadur Awlad Hossain Khan High School, and college. Children's clothes get dirty in mud and water. It is very painful to tolerate this every day."
Tanzila Khan, a college student, said, "Going to college on a rainy day feels like fighting a battle. Clothes get ruined in muddy water, and sometimes we face embarrassing situation because of dirt splashing on us."
Housewife Sefaly Sultana added, "From West Dashora to Beutha Boali, waterlogging makes the road almost unusable after every rainfall. It becomes nearly impossible to take children to school or go to the market."
Elderly resident Ataur Rahman lamented, "At this age, I wish to go for short walks. But with the bad condition of these roads, I'm afraid to step outside. Falling has become an everyday fear."
Manikganj Municipality's Executive Engineer Shahadat Hossain acknowledged the fact, saying, "We have already issued 60 work orders for road repair. However, due to rain, the work has not yet started. Once the weather improves, work will begin, and residents will see visible changes in the road system."

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