Road digging in rainy season brings Mohakhali commuters woes
Dhaka North officials say that they initiated the renovation works during the rainy season as it was urgent. They said the project will be completed by November
The Dhaka North City Corporation is digging a road from Mohakhali Rail Gate to Jahangir Gate amidst the rainy season, disregarding official regulations and thus causing sufferings to the commuters.
Bir Uttam Ziaur Rahman Road, one of the busiest in the city, is home to several educational institutions, shopping malls and important offices. As a result, students, commuters and pedestrians are all facing problems due to the digging.
The road has been narrowed to one lane due to the renovation works and there are holes and puddles of water everywhere. Pedestrians have to walk carefully on the road, putting their safety at risk. Vehicles have also been getting stuck in the mud.
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The excavation work, which has been going on both sides of around 1 km of the road, is also causing traffic jams, especially in the mornings and afternoons. Minor accidents have also been reported.
Furthermore, the incessant rainfall over the past week has exacerbated the situation.
Dhaka North officials say that they initiated the renovation works during the rainy season as it was urgent. They said the project will be completed by November.
However, people in the area are not happy with the situation. They say that the city corporation should have waited until the rainy season was over before starting the digging.
They are also concerned about the safety of pedestrians and the risk of accidents.
Samiha Akhter, a student of BAF Shaheen College, told The Business Standard, "I regularly travel in our car, but due to the digging on the road for several days, I have to walk a long way before getting into the car."
The footpath has also been demolished and so one has to walk on the road itself at risk, she said.
Private car driver Shihab Talukder said, "Now if you come by car on this road, you have to get covered in mud. There is unbearable traffic in the morning. The road has become narrow and we have been suffering for the past few days."
According to government regulations, there is a five-month ban on road digging from May to September due to the country's rainy season. However, in case of urgent need, the city corporation can excavate the road by following some conditions.
According to the Dhaka Metropolitan Road Excavation Policy-2019, there is a provision for imposing fines if the work is not completed within the stipulated time frame, which may even include halting excavation activities during daytime hours.
Md Faruque Hassan Al Masud, executive engineer (Civil) of Dhaka North's Zone-3, said that the road work is being conducted due to the urgency of the situation.
"The road has been under construction for about two months. We also feel bad that it is a temporary problem. By 15 August, both sides of the road will be levelled by putting sand on them. So there will be no problem with traffic. The work is expected to be completed by November," he added.
Furthermore, he said, the primary aim of the corporation is to minimise the impact of the inconvenience on residents and keep their sufferings within manageable limits.
