The authorities concerned have started working to repair the highways and roads in the Dhaka City Corporation area by July 20 to make the journey of homebound Eid-goers comfortable and safe. However, transport workers and drivers said although the damaged roads will be repaired within the next six days by spending huge money, the repair works will not last for long due to plying of heavy vehicle
s on the roads and rain. The Roads and Highways Department (RHD) has suddenly started repairing the damaged roads and highways temporally with bricks and sand without any proper planning. The bitumen used in the road works is not working properly due to frequent rain. It was learnt from the Roads and High department’s engineers that repairs were hampered at different places due to rain yesterday. The bricks and sand on different potholed roads have been washed away due to heavy rain. Meanwhile, ministry high-ups, including the communications minister and secretaries have already started visiting the repair works at different highways and roads. The potholes are being repaired with bricks and sand in different highways including the Dhaka-Chittagong, Joydevpur-Mymensingh and Dhaka-Tangail highways. Experts said irregularities and grafts take place in the name of quick road repairs every year ahead of Eid. They said the repairs sustain only for a few days. The LGRD Ministry has begun repairing the dilapidated road under pressure. A taskforce was formed at an inter-ministerial meeting held on last Friday in a bid to make the journey of homebound Eid-goers comfortable. The nine-member taskforce was formed led by Additional Secretary of Local Government Department KM Mozammel Haque. The taskforce is comprised of representatives of Home Ministry, Communication Ministry, Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC), Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC), Directorate of Public Works, WASA, Dhaka Metropolitan police. After forming the taskforce, the nine-member committee is yet to hold any meeting. However, the chairman of the taskforce personally inspected the dilapidated road of DSCC and DNCC on Sunday and Monday night. Chairman of the taskforce KM Mozammel Haque said he had inspected City Corporation’s road and marked the damaged roads in Moghbazar to Malibagh areas, and roads under the Mayor Hanif flyover. He said the Malibagh-Mauchak road is in bad condition, which was repaired. He also said though the road was repaired, the water logging problem on this road remains unsettled, so the WASA authorities have been asked to take steps in this regard. Besides, the project director of Moghbazar-Mouchak flyover was also asked to expand the road so that the vehicles can run smoothly on the road. He also said the road under the Hanif Flyover is now in good condition. A meeting will be held with the taskforce members to repair all roads in the capital, he informed. There are 21,481 kilometers roads-highways under the Roads and Highways Department (RHD). According to the department survey, at least 8,500 km roads and highways are lying in poor condition. To repair the damaged roads, a project was taken at Tk 228 crore. It has been learnt that most of the department of 65 departments under RHD did not finish the repairing works in time, which led to the quick-repair attempts. While visiting the Dhaka-Chittagong highway Saturday, Communications Minister Obaidul Quader told journalists that the all roads will be ready for smooth running of vehicles by July 20. RHD sources said a total of 16 mobile teams will inspect the repairing works on Dhaka-Chittagong highway. The mobile teams will also provide support for emergency repairs and drainage system maintenance on the highway. Sources said the repair works at Chato Darogar Hat, Boro Darogar hat, Sitakunda bypass, Kumira bypass on Dhaka-Chittagang highway have been completed. But Abdul Makit, a truck driver who came through the repaired roads, said the bricks were not placed in a proper way and the potholes remain in the previous condition. Another truck driver Abdur Shabur said though the Gazipur-Tangail highway was repaired with by bricks temporarily, such repairs would not sustain for long.
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