Barishal City dwellers suffer for deplorable roads

BARISHAL, June 20: City roads in the district are deplorable.  
Before the rainy season, roads have turned dangerously worse. City dwellers suffer everyday. Minor or fatal accidents take place regularly. Traffic jam is a common phenomenon.
According to field sources, after Cyclone Yaas impact, serious water-logging has been created on roads.  Public suffering has mounted up.
According to the Barishal City Corporation (BCC) sources, metallic road is about 3.5 kilometres (km) of its about 600 km road stretches.
The Yaas impact has damaged most lane and thoroughfare.
Seriously deplorable roads are Polashpur, Hatkhola Sarak, Oxford Mission Road, BM School Lane, road ranging from  Natullabad via Madhumiar Pool to Sobahan Miar Pool and Morokkholar Pool, Kawnia Housing area road, Thanar Goli, Sreenath Chaterjee Lane, Tiakhali Sarak, New Circular Road, and Sagardi Joynagar.
Housewife Shamima Zahan of Pachwim Kawnia area said, Addhapok Yunus Khan Sarak from Natullabad Kendryo Bus terminal to Kawnia Morokkholar Pool has been deplorable for a long time; it is not usable.
An initiative was taken to cleanse side canal, but the cleansing has not been finished as yet, she mentioned.
She added, Baptist Mission Road has also turned useless, adding, as a result, .commuters and transports are experiencing suffering.
Locals said, roads have turned difficult for easybike to ply.  Three roads are linked with the Baptist road.
Councillor Mojibur Rahman of Ward No.-11 of the BCC said, the Baptist  Mission  Road was repaired at about Tk 90 lakh during the regime of ex-mayor Ahsan Habib Kamal. Then reserved councillor was the contractor  of this project. He used sub-standard materials.
College teacher Md Wahed and inhabitant of Sreenath Lane said, the road gets submerged while raining.
Inhabitant Faijul Islam Sajal of Zianagar in Ward No. 24 said, the road was not raised while constructed; as a result, if there is a rain and tide in the Kirtankhola River, these get submerged.
General Secretary of Sammilito Samajik Andolon-Barishal Kazi Enayet Hosain Shiplu said, stranded water cannot make receding as most of the roads belong no drain. Road water is getting logged due to lack of flow crisis in the canal.  
Both cleansing the canal and repairing the road are urgent, he mentioned.
Chief Executive of BCC Sayed Md Fruk Hossain said, estimating the damage cost due to heavy rainfall has been initiated by the BCC.
Canal cleansing work is continuing, he informed.