SATHIA (PABNA) Correspondent: A newly constructed culvert in Sathia upazila has become a source of fear and inconvenience for locals, as its connecting roads on both sides have collapsed less than a year after its completion, rendering the structure useless.
The 11-meter-long culvert, located in front of a residence at Shahanagar Isthar's house in Kashinathpur union, was built under the Department of Disaster Management's "Bridge and Culvert Construction Project" for the 2023-24 fiscal year.
Local residents allege that the swift deterioration is a direct result of the use of substandard materials during construction. They further accused the Upazila Project Implementation Officer (PIO) of negligence in supervising the work.
"This culvert is of no use to us now. The connecting roads gave way in less than two years. Several families are suffering due to this," said an aggrieved local. They have demanded immediate repairs to the collapsed sections.
The construction work, costing Tk 40.5 lakh, was awarded to "Bondhon Construction," owned by one Md. Mokhles. Despite multiple attempts to reach him on his mobile phone, Mokhles could not be contacted for comment.
When contacted, Sathia Upazila PIO Md. Multan Hossain addressed the issue, stating, "The contractor has a security deposit. The necessary work will be done using the money from that deposit."
