The conditions of many roads and streets in the city of Dhaka are poor, unfit to traffic. The situation has aggravated with the advent of the monsoon.
The roads are at Mirpur, Darus Salam, Rampura Banashree, Shantinagar, Moghbazar, Malibagh, Rokeya Sarani, Kalabagan, Basabo, Purana Paltan, Goran, Sutrapur, Nandipara, Khilgaon, Gabtoli Beribadh, Sayedabad to Shonir Akhra, Sabujbagh to Madartek via Bashabo, Shantinagar, Mohakhali Kancha Bazar to Model School, Uttara Sector No 1 and Sector No 7 in bad shape.
The road from Jurain Level crossing to Dholairpar the Nurani Mosque Road, the Muradpur High School Road, Bidi Factory to Zero point, from Paterbagh to Dhania, Alambagh to Madina Mosque, Jurain Level crossing to Shyampur Level crossing, Jatrabari to Kajla Bridge are also in bad shape, requiring immediate reconstruction.
Residents of Mohammadpur, Jatrabari, Green Road, Tejgaon, South Goran, Nakhalpara and Khilgaon areas alleged that they suffer a lot when they walk by these roads or travel by any light vehicles. Residents of the Khilgaon and Tejgaon areas also said that
the uneven roads, the lanes and the by-lanes at Goran, Shantinagar, Tilpapara, Nakhalpara and Tejkunipara areas must be reformed as quick as possible to avert further damage.
When contacted, an official of the Dhaka City Corporation said, the repairing work may begin in September after the monsoon.
"We did not start any repair work of the dilapidated roads in the capital for the arrival of the rainy season, as rain and water logging seriously damage bituminous carpeting of the roads," Md Nurul Amin, Executive Engineer of Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) told The New Nation on Wednesday.
Adjacent roads of the Gulistan-Jatrabari flyover is being repaired to keep vehicular movement smooth on the Dhaka-Chittagong and the Dhaka Sylhet road, he said. Only 125 kilometers of roads are within the jurisdiction of DSCC and the repair of those roads will start from September, Amin said. Water logging is the main reason for deteriorating condition of roads, for going under knee-deep to waist deep water even after moderate rain, another engineer said.
Some roads remain under rainwater for hours and days following which bituminous carpeting of roads decay under the pressure of wheels of vehicles, he said. "The poor condition of drainage system is also major cause of dilapidation."
Many roads of even posh Gulshan and Uttara areas are in bad conditions, as the Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) is yet to repair those. Fresh digging has only further aggravated the condition of these roads.