A large portion of the country’s roads and highways is in dilapidated condition following a series of floods couple with heavy rains since late June with the state of inter-district roads appears to be more deplorable.
Dilapidated condition disrupts vehicular movement frequently, increasing in more road fatalities and hampering goods transportation.
Officials of the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED), however, said they initiated process to repair the vast trial of damage on roads and highways across the country.
Movement on roads often takes extra time, rising the transport cost as well with travellers saying that a four-hour distance now requires about 8 hours to complete.
Roads and highways reportedly face more damaged in Gazipur, Manikganj, Rajbari, Netrokona, Sherpur, Bandarban, Cumilla, Brahmanbaria, Chandpur, Noakhali, Sylhet, Moulavibazar, Sunamganj, Natore, Bogura, Pabna, Sirajganj, Rangpur, Gaibandha, Kurigram, Lalmonirhat, Nilphamari, Panchagarh, Thakurgaon, Jhenaidah and Meherpur, Bagerhat, Khulna, Bhola, Satkhira, Bogra, Chapainawabganj, Naogaon and Chuadanga districts.
As per a government estimate, this year, floods damaged over 6,500 kilometres of roads and highways in 28 districts while Tk 1.6 billion would be required for reconstructing and repairing purposes.
Currently, there are 22,362.821 kilometres of national and regional highways and district roads under the Roads and Highways (RHD) while there are 3,53,353.45 kilometres of roads in upazila and village areas under the LGED.
Data from the RHD’s Central Flood Information Centre shows flood damaged on some 460 kilometres of its 120 highways and inflicted partial damage on 230.597 km of its 65 highways until Saturday.
Many of the roads suffered heavy damages, said RHD executive engineer Syed Halimur Rahman.
The RHD sought Tk 52.17 crore for short-term and Tk 239.18 crore for long-term for road repairing and maintenance.
According to LGED officials said, the floodwater more or less damaged 6,140.49 kilometres of its roads in upazila, and village levels in 26 districts in addition to about 15 kilometres of bridges and culverts.
Some 201 bridges and culverts were damaged partially in 19 districts including Thakurgaon, Nilphamari, Rangpur, Gaibandha, Sunamganj, Netrakona, Sherpur, Bandarban, Brahmanbaria, Noakhali, Sirajganj, Panchagarh, and Jhenaidah.
SK Md Mohsin, additional chief engineer (road and bridge maintenance) of the LGED, said that Jamalpur and Sunamganj are the worst-hit districts by flooding.
A bridge at Sharishabari in Jamalpur was badly damaged due to the flood, and roads in Sunamganj district were damaged heavily, he added.
The LGED set a tentative cost of Tk 1,355.67 crore and Tk 177.11 crore to repair the damaged roads, and bridges and culverts respectively.
“We are repairing the road infrastructures, and for big damages, we will prepare a detailed budget and project proposal,” Mohsin said.
Flood hit Bangladesh in late June inundating nearly half of the country in central, northern and southern parts, and marooning millions of people.