CCC seeks Tk112 crore to repair damaged roads

Publication Date: 22 August  2015
Media: The Independent

Original Link: CCC seeks Tk112 crore to repair damaged roads

E-paper Link: CCC seeks Tk112 crore to repair damaged roads

The Chittagong City Corporation needs Tk 112 crore to repair about 163 kilometers of roads in 41 wards under the corporation that have become badly damaged in frequent spells of heavy rainfalls during the last couple of months.

The city corporation prepared a list of these damaged roads and it was submitted to the CCC chief executive in the first week of august. Talking to The Independent, Kazi Shafiual Alam, chief executive officer of CCC, said, “To repair the damaged roads, we need more than Tk112 crore. We have sent a letter to the ministry concerned seeking special allocation to repair the damaged roads.” “After receiving the fund, the repair work will be started,” he added.

However, commuters put the blame on the city corporation for failing to carry out timely repair work. The dilapidated condition of most of the roads with numerous potholes and puddles across the port city has turned commuting a nightmarish experience for the people. Moreover, the damaged roads are contributing to gridlock alongside increasing the number of road accidents. During heavy downpour, the city roads eroded in places where the roads went under knee-to-waist-deep water. Numerous portholes and puddles have been created as bitumen has got off from the roads. It is the duty of the city corporation to repair the damaged roads, but they are failing to meet the demand of the city dwellers, said a resident of Panchlaish area.

When contacted, Yeakub Nabi, superintendent engineer of CCC, told The Independent, “We have started repair work on priority basis on some roads. Gradually repair work of all the roads will begin. Repair work will be carried out in full swing after getting the special allocation.”
The under-construction Muradpur-Lalkhan Bazar flyover adds to commuters’ woes as the flyovers have shrunken space for traffic. Moreover, slow vehicular movement due to poor road conditions is also causing severe traffic gridlocks in the city. Delay in construction works of the flyovers has increased sufferings of the public with no sign of immediate completion of the work. According to CCC, there are a total of 936 kilometre roads in the city.

Of them, 650 kms are bituminous, and others are concrete-made, brick soled or earthen roads.
A total of 2.5 kms of the CDA Avenue, 1.25 kms of SS Khaled Road, 1 km of Nawab Siraj-ud-daulah Road road, 2kms of the Court Road, 1.5 kms of Zakir Hossain Road, 2kms of Jubilee Road, 1km of KC Dey Road,  1km of Mehedibag Road and 1.25 km of Reboti Mohon Road were badly damaged in recent rains, according to the CCC list.

Roads were also damaged at South Pahartali, Jalalabad, Panchalish, Chandagaon, Mohora, East Sholoshahar, West Sholoshahar and Shulokbahar as. About 5.50 kms of road from Chittagong Airport to Old Airport and 6 kms road from Cement crossing to Kathghar and New Airport were also damaged, said the CCC sources. A total of 30.5 km stretches of Port Connecting Road, Agrabad Access Road, Barik Building Road, Sheikh Mujib Road and roads in Agrabad, Halishahar, Rampur, North Phartali and Phatantuli areas have become damaged, said the sources. A  total of 40km roads in Chawakbazar, West Bakalia, East Bakalia, East Madarbari, Alkaron, Patharghata and Fringibazar areas were damaged.