The road adjoining a ring culvert has collapsed at Boleaparai in Sadar upazila of Panchagarh due to heavy rain, halting traffic movement on Boleapara-Dewanhat-Jagdal regional road.
Meanwhile, local Upazila Parishad and administration have taken an initiative to construct a temporary wooden bridge at the point for public movement.
Incessant rain for a week has caused waterlogging in various parts of the district. Rainwater washed away the road at Boleapara on Boleapara-Dewanhat-Jagdal regional road on Sunday morning. Vehicles have to detour several kilometres to reach the district town due to the broken road. On the other hand, the intensity of rain has reduced since Tuesday and the water has started receding from some waterlogged areas in different places.
Abdus Salam, a member of sadar union parishad (UP), said the paved road leading to Dewanhat-Jagdal through Boleapara has a lot of traffic every day. Heavy rains during the monsoon season caused a landslide near the culvert at Boleapara village, breaking the road and blocking traffic.
The UP member also said a permanent structure has been constructed at the downstream part of Bhangamali bridge adjacent to Baniyar Mill on Panchagarh-Harivasa road and the water flow is completely stopped there. Because of this, the water pressure has increased at Boleapara point. Earlier last year, due to the closure of the mouth of this bridge at Baniyar Mill during the monsoon season, there was permanent waterlogging in the city's Hothatpara and Sadar Union's Boleapara. Then, former member of Parliament Mazharul Haque Pradhan, former upazila parishad chairman Amirul Islam, former Upazila Nirbahi Officer Masudul Haque and municipality mayor Zakia Khatun visited the affected area and arranged to break a wall of the structure to remove water. At the same time, a decision was taken to break the ring culvert on the road at Boleapara and construct a big drain along the side of the Panchagarh-Harivasa road to release the water into the nearby Talma river. There was no need to construct a box culvert far away from the area where the water pressure is high. But the LGED built a box culvert there. And no initiative has been taken so far to construct a drain along the road and throw the water into Talma river.
Talking about this matter, Sadar Upazila Engineer of LGED Ramzan Ali said, “I went there after getting the news. The union parishad chairman has been instructed to construct a temporary wooden or bamboo-made bridge at the point to keep vehicular movement normal during the monsoon season. The problem will be solved permanently if the government allocation is received for the project list of construction of bridge and ring culvert in the current financial year.”
Panchagarh Sadar Upazila Parishad Chairman Shahnewaz Pradhan Shuvo said, “I have visited the spot. Due to the unplanned construction of some houses and infrastructures in the vicinity, the ring culverts at various places along with drains have been blocked causing waterlogging. The road has been damaged due to the water of Purbajalasi and the water of Boleapara flowing in the same direction. I have given some allocations to the UP Chairman for temporary construction of a bamboo and wooden bridge there for public and light vehicular traffic.
Besides, I have informed the upazila engineer along with the Panchagarh LGED engineer after talking to the Upazila Nirbahi Officer for the construction of the bridge. It is hoped that the problem will be permanently resolved by constructing a bridge there in the current financial year.”
