Waterlogging hampers life in Mirzapur Poor drainage, overgrown vegetation cause public suffering
Overgrown bushes and weeds around the Mirzapur Upazila Parishad premises, along with chronic waterlogging, are causing serious inconvenience to people coming from different areas to receive government services.
Residents of Mirzapur municipality said the drainage system has remained in a poor condition for years, leaving roads, mosques and low-lying areas submerged after even a short spell of rain. The situation becomes particularly severe during the monsoon, with this year seeing a further deterioration.
A visit to different wards of the municipality on Sunday found extensive overgrown vegetation around the Upazila Parishad premises. Locals said the bushes have contributed to a sharp increase in mosquito infestation.
Waterlogging has also disrupted the activities of several government offices, including the Upazila Primary Education Office, Cooperative Office, Agriculture Office, Fisheries Office, Sub-Registrar’s Office and Youth Development Office. Baimhati Government Primary School has also been affected.
Former councillors Ali Azam Siddiqui, Abdur Razzaq, Tapas Saha and Chandana De said the drainage systems, roads and other infrastructure in all wards needed urgent improvement.
They called for development works to be carried out under a proper master plan, saying this would significantly reduce residents’ suffering. Mirzapur Municipality Administrator and Assistant Commissioner (Land) Tarek Aziz said cleaning and removing overgrown vegetation around the Upazila Parishad premises was already underway.
He said development work had also begun with allocations from various development funds, including the Tangail Ten Town Project, as part of efforts to overhaul the municipality.
“We hope balanced development will be ensured in every ward of Mirzapur Municipality and that residents’ sufferings, including waterlogging, will gradually decrease,” he said. Mirzapur Municipality was established in 2000 and upgraded to a first-class municipality in 2018. However, residents said civic services have not improved despite regular increases in municipal taxes.
