BARISHAL, Mar 30: Thousands of people are facing communication problems due to a deplorable condition on Principal Yunus Khan Road (Khalparh) at Ward No. 1 in Barishal City Corporation (BCC).
The road has turned worse with excessive dust. Dust is spreading around.
Students, passengers and pedestrians are in health risk. General people can move on the road properly despite using mask and handkerchief.
Dust is excessively lying across the road from Kawnia Marakkhola Pole to Nathullabad (Khalparh). Locals demanded rapid repairing of the road.
BCC authorities said, repairing work in important roads in the city will begin soon.
According to sources, in 1982, this muddy road was opened to facilitate communications. Later on, after a long time, the muddy road was brick-soiled by the then municipal authorities.
In 2002, Barishal Pourasabha was promoted to Barishal City Corporation (BCC). But BCC was not developed adequately.
Late mayor Shawkat Hossain Kiron paved the road in 2010. Then transport movement began. Also due to lack of necessary maintenance, the road developed breaking and turned deplorable.
The repairing work in the road began just before few days of BCC elections in 2023. The repairing was initiated by former mayor Sernianbat Sadek Abdulllah. But suddenly the repairing was suspended due to unknown reasons. Since then the road has been causing public sufferings.
A visit to Principal Yunus Khan Road in Pachwim Kawnia area in the city found different vehicles in battery-run auto, CNG, brick-sand-laden trucks, mini-truck, and Mahindra; along with their movement, dust was spreading.
Due to excessive dust, auto-rickshaw, CNG, motor cycles, passengers and pedestrians are facing communication sufferings seriously. CNG driver Monir said, due to dust, front vehicles are seen easily; that is why accidents are frequent.
A local trader, Yamin said, due to excessive dust on the road, their goods are getting damaged; they are also suffering tough breath.
A pedestrian Suman said, the condition has created as the road repairing was suspended in the mid-way. If the road would be watered in the morning and afternoon regularly, the present situation would not be like this, he added.
Local dwellers said, they have to keep closed doors and windows of their houses for most of the time of the day to prevent flying dust. They are in health risk.
Trader Masud said, they can protect their products and food from dust by covering; their food and goods are getting damaged.
Doctors and health specialists said, dust carries germs of different diseases; under-aged and old men can be affected mostly by tough breath; living in dusty environment causes weakness to blood flow of lung; besides, it also can cause sneezing, coughing, allergy, tonsil inflammation, throat-ach, and asthma.
Executive Engineer of Engineering Branch of BCC Md Abul Bashar said, according to instruction of the present mayor, repairing and construction initiatives have been taken for all important roads in all 30 wards of the city; tender will be invited soon; it is expected, the repairing of Principal Yunus Khan Road will be done in a short time.
