Photo : Messenger
Commuters in Singair region of Manikganj have been enduring hardship due to the deplorable condition of the approach roads on both sides of a bridge over Kananagar canal that cost Tk 1.5 crore. The hastily completed public bridge, meant to serve five nearby villages, has failed to fulfill its purpose, leaving the local populace frustrated.
The bridge construction, initiated by contracting firm M/s AHM Bix, owned by former district council member Abdul Alim, was expected to offer vital connectivity to the North Kananagar village of Sayesta Union in the upazila. However, after five long years, the soil-filling work has only recently recommenced.
Local residents have expressed their dissatisfaction, alleging that the bridge constructed in the middle of the canal is smaller than initially promised, and no work has been done on the soil-covered approach roads. As a result, they are unable to transport agricultural and other products and must travel 3-4 kilometers to bypass the dysfunctional bridge.
Students attending schools and colleges in the area are also adversely affected, facing extra expenses and time consumption in their daily commute. During the monsoon season, locals are compelled to use boats to cross the canal, despite significant government funds being allocated for the bridge's construction.
The Upazila Project Implementation Office revealed that the bridge, part of the bridge/culvert construction project sanctioned by the Disaster and Relief Ministry, was built at a cost of Tk 56,89,106 in the 2015-16 fiscal year. However, the bridge's east side is bereft of any road infrastructure, forcing residents to create makeshift paths by the mosque.
Saesta Union Parishad Chairman and M/s AHM Bricks owner, Abdul Halim, explained that while the road was initially paved during the bridge's construction, it was subsequently damaged by flooding. He has now forwarded two projects for a link road to the local Member of Parliament, assuring that it will be expedited.
In response, Upazila Project Implementation Officer Ahadi Hossain pledged to investigate why such a considerable sum of government funds was wasted on the bridge's construction and stated that measures would be taken to facilitate the swift construction of connecting roads.
Messenger/Disha
