Hatirjheel Lake located in the central part of the capital city of Dhaka is known for its scenic beauty, but people now shy away from visiting the lake as the one-way road around it has developed numerous potholes.
There is a 16-kilometer one-way road constructed around Hatirjheel Lake so that city people can visit here for some recreation amid the hustle and bustle of the densely populated capital city.
But the road has developed many big potholes during the current monsoon, hampering traffic much to the sufferings of commuters. Besides, most of the streetlights around the lake has gone out of order.
People are now scared of visiting Hatirjheel Lake due these problems, but the authorities appear to have turned a blind eye to the matter, some locals said while talking to the Bangladesh Post.
During a recent visit to Hatirjheel area, this correspondent found numerous potholes filled with rainwater at different points including Tejgaon’s Kunipara, Police Plaza,South Badda, and Rampura.
A local shopkeeper Azmat at Kunipara said, “During every monsoon, potholes are created on the road, but they are not repaired properly. The potholes filled with rainwater have posed great risk of accidents.”
Vehicle run very slowly on the road connecting Tejgaon, Gulshan, Badda, Rampura, Mouchak, Farmgate, Karwan Bazar and Magbazar.
Motorcyclists and private car drivers face most difficulties with many reporting that their vehicles have been damaged due to the potholes.
A regular commuter Sahadat Hosen at Police Plaza said, “Hatijheel is losing its beauty as condition of the road around it has worsened. There is a giant pothole right before the bridge (near Police Plaza) where accidents have become regular phenomenon, but there is none to look into the problem.”
Hatirjheel project involving Tk 1,971 crore was inaugurated in January 2013. Later, it was handed over by the Army to RAJUK in June 2021. Since then, it is not being properly maintained by the authorities. Currently, only 118 Ansar members are engaged to manage security in Hatirjheel area in three shifts, locals said.
When contacted, RAJUK Chief Engineer Md. Nurul Islam said, “We are aware of the public inconvenience caused by the potholes. The matter has been brought to the attention of officials concerned.”
Transport experts said that the deteriorating road condition not only cause traffic congestion but also increase risk of accidents, particularly during the rainy season.
The Hatirjheel project, implemented by the Bangladesh Army, is aimed at providing some breathing space for city people and improving connectivity across the central part of the capital.
Julhas Karim, who lives in Mahanagar Project said, “Hatirjheel is a blessing for our capital. But its beauty is fading day by day due to utter negligence. We urged the authorities concerned several times in the past to repair and restore the beauty of Hatiljheel area.
