Highways unfit

Shah Alam Nur :
Thousand of homebound people are apprehending to face enormous sufferings during the upcoming Eid-ul-Azha due to the poor condition of the highways.
According to Roads and Highways Department (RHD), more than 3,000 kilometres of the highway are almost unfit for smooth journey.
Recently, the RHD field officers have submitted their reports to the central office on the damages caused due to heavy rainfall and flood. 14 per cent of the roads are in terrible condition, it added.
The roads of Sirajganj are the most affected, said the district level report of the RHD. Rainfall has damaged 209 kilometres of the 427-kilometer roads of the district, which needs to be repaired.
Chittagong, Pabna, Bhola, Narayanganj, Manikganj, Tangail, Gopalganj, Shariatpur, Brahmanbaria, Cox’s Bazar and Rangpur are among the most affected districts, the RHD report said.
There are a total of 21,700 kilometres of roads and highways under the RHD in which 19,000 kilometers are important national highway, regional highway and district roads. The remaining roads are either brick laid or mud roads.
An official of RHD said, “We have been informed about the roads and the roads can be repaired before Eid-ul-Azha.”
He said additional money has been sought from the Finance Ministry. The work is, however, going on using the previous allotment.
Chief Engineer of the Roads and Highway Department Firoz Iqbal said they have already started the repairing work. They just need a favourable weather condition.
He hoped that thousands of passengers during Eid would be able to travel without any hassle.
Several officials of the RHD said it is usual that rains would damage roads. But waste and misappropriation of funds allocated for the repairing is the primary reason that makes roads dilapidated to an extent what should not have been.
Only 12 days to go before the Eid-ul Azha. The roads and highway officials are doubtful whether they would be able to repair the roads by this time. The Divisional Offices of RHD have asked for Tk 3.54 billion on immediate basis for the repair of the damaged roads.
The cost of the permanent repair has been estimated to be Tk 22.09 billion. Road Transport Division has asked for Tk 2.00 billion from the Finance Ministry for the immediate needs of RHD. The government has allocated Tk 13.68 billion for repair works of RHD in the current fiscal. It was Tk 14.31 billion in the last fiscal. Sources said, RHD have spent almost Tk 80.00 billion in the last five years for repair works of the roads and bridges. In this time, Tk 13.00 billion was allocated every year for the repair works on an average.
The government took a separate project of Tk 14.10 billion in 2011 fiscal, when the road system got into a critical condition. That project also finished. In addition to it, road repair was also financed under various development projects.
Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader said heavy vehicles will not be allowed to ply on highways across the country three days before and after the Eid-ul-Azha for smooth journey of the holidaymakers. Assuring that the home-goers will not face any trouble on highways during their journeys, Quader said the Engineers of Roads and Highways Department in every district will remain ready to immediately solve any road-related problems.
Highway police will also stay alert to avoid road accidents and traffic jams, he added. The Minister urged the authorities concerned to remove all the billboards, including the political ones, installed beside highways as early as possible.