Potholes, knee-deep mud: 80% of rural roads collapse due to lack of funds for repairs

Poorly maintained and damaged roads slow down the rural economy in addition to making life difficult for commuters

02 November 2024, 07:15

Last modified: 02 November 2024, 07:32

The LGED Chitaliya-Gayatola road in Shariatpur Sadar Upazila, which connects eight unions and reaches Shibchar Upazila in Madaripur, is in a dilapidated condition. With a stretch of 6 kilometers and 10 feet wide, it is full of potholes and cracks, causing significant inconvenience to commuters. Heavy vehicles avoid this route, while passengers in smaller vehicles face double fares due to its poor condition. Photo: TBS

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Two decades ago, when the 6-km Chitalia-Gayatla road in the mud of Shariatpur Sadar upazila was paved, widened to 10 feet, the upgrade was a boon to the people of eight unions. Their journeys to upazilas and district towns became faster and more accessible when they became part of the local bus route.

But their luck didn’t last long. A harrowing ride on this road last week revealed the shoddy work and neglect these rural networks have suffered for decades. The carpeting of the road was worn, and miles upon miles of the road were strewn with potholes and ditches like the ugly marks of smallpox left on a once pretty face. In places, the stones have come off, exposing the underlying soil. Buses last traveled the road six years ago.

“When the roads were in good condition, we could sell rice and jute in Shariatpur town, Kazirhat port and Shibchar market. Now with the rising transport costs, we have to sell our crops from home,” said Yunus Khalasi, a local. farmer.

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Good roads improved life

This is a key aspect of an improved rural road that connects farms to markets and facilitates local businesses. It makes rural life easier and more vibrant in more ways than one. Poorly maintained and damaged roads slow down the rural economy in addition to making travel difficult.

As there has been no repair work on the Chitalia-Gayatla road for seven years, road users like local high school teacher Liton Sardar or light cycle driver Miraz Sheikh have to struggle every day. The time and cost of their travel increased.

About 50% of the paved roads managed by LGED in Shariatpur district are equally bad.

Officials from the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED), the government agency that builds and maintains rural roads, said this is more or less common for nearly 80% of the 1.29 lakh km rural road network of of the country – instrumental in stimulating the economy and local life by facilitating the transport of people and goods.

Last year, 60% of rural roads were in poor condition, meaning rural roads this year are worse than the year before, with floods doing more damage in some regions.

Their annual budget is enough to repair only 15% of the damaged road, and the amount allocated in the annual budget is often not paid in full, they added, giving an explanation as to why rural roads have remained dilapidated for a long time, leaving local commuters in difficulty.

Infographic: TBS

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Infographic: TBS

The July riot didn’t help either

Massive protests in July and the subsequent regime change in August and the formation of a new government — these transitions affected routine road maintenance work, and recurring floods and rains further worsened road conditions, officials said.

The longer the repair is delayed, the more the repair will cost, said Dewan Abdus Sabur, executive engineer, road and bridge maintenance unit of LGED.

The government has allocated 3,300 million lei for road repair against the requirement of 21,485 million lei in the current financial year, he informed.

He said it would be possible to repair about 5,500 km of roads with the allocation in the current financial year. However, some old roads are being repaired from the allocation of various development projects. An average of Tk 1,500-2,000 crore is spent on repairs from the development budget, the chief road engineer said.

Because of limited funds, they can do routine maintenance every three to five years. In addition, emergency maintenance is needed to address damage caused by natural disasters, officials say.

An official from the Implementation Monitoring and Evaluation Department (IMED), speaking on condition of anonymity, told TBS: “Road projects are unsustainable due to the use of substandard construction materials, incompetent contractors and corruption.”

Floods, rains add to road problems

The 6 km Hajipara-Chowdepalli road, part of the Lakshmipur-Noakhali regional road, has been impassable for the past two years. Despite repeated requests to former local members of parliament and public representatives, local residents have not been able to recover the road for vehicular traffic.

The road deteriorated further, losing all its soil due to heavy flooding in August. Villagers continue to suffer due to the poor condition of this vital communication route.

In addition, most of the roads in Lakshmipur district are now unfit for traffic. The situation has worsened significantly since the flood.

In addition to flooding, dilapidated roads worsen during the rains, compounding the suffering of rural road users.

In several rural areas of Khulna, main roads remain unpaved, causing daily hardship to local residents. During the monsoon, these roads become muddy, making it almost impossible to travel through knee-deep mud.

The condition of the 3.5 km road from Baghardair to Gazinagar in Magurkhali union of Dumuria upazila is another such bad road which is used by around 1,000 residents of five villages for their daily commute.

Samir, a local resident, said, “When the monsoon starts, traveling on this road becomes extremely difficult. Walking through knee-deep mud, I often slip, which is especially dangerous for the elderly and children.”

A similar situation exists on a road in Rupsa upazila Patharghata village of Khulna, where pedestrians are fighting as the road has not been renovated for six years.

Marufa Akhter, a student from Bhimpur village in Naogaon Sadar, said a crucial 20 km dirt road connects Naogaon town to the village, with Bhimpur police outpost at its western end and Naogaon town at its eastern edge.

She said that even a little rain turns this road into knee-deep mud, making it unusable.

“I have witnessed this situation in the last 10 years. Everyone promises to build this road before the elections, but once the votes are cast, no one follows through,” she lamented.

Chota Changair village in Nandigram upazila of Bogura can be accessed only from Vebarkuri Mauza via Talgachhi road. Locals transport rice and vegetables to the market using paddle trucks along these dirt roads.

Smriti Khatun, a resident of the village, noted that the road conditions during the monsoon season are so bad that van pullers frequently suffer accidents while traveling.

“Common people have no alternatives as this situation persists year after year,” she said.

Good road works protect against flooding

Although a fifth of Feni district’s 4,300 km rural road network was badly damaged by severe flooding in August, some roads are unscathed. The 3km stretch connecting Kuthirhat rural market to the Feni-Sonagazi road was in good condition after the flood waters receded, which the senior LGED official attributed to strict supervision under the new guidelines.

“Supervision must play a role in quality road works,” said Mahmud Al Faruk, executive engineer at LGED, Feni, claiming that 70 percent of rural roads in the district are still in good condition even after Feni took a hit strong due to the worst flooding in the region. in decades.

He said they have already sought additional funding for road repairs this year. “Two big projects are being prepared to respond to the flood damage and Feni will be on one of the lists, along with Noakhali, also affected by the floods,” the official said.

Most LGED roads exceed the 10-year lifespan

According to a Government Gazette of 2004, Upazila roads were initially constructed with a width of 12 to 18 feet, while the latest Gazette of 2021 specifies a maximum width of 24 feet for Upazila roads and up to 30 of feet for industrial or commercial roads, with union roads. being built up to 12 feet wide.

The 2021 Monitor also mandates a minimum road thickness of 890mm under LGED, compared to the previous minimum of 582mm. Due to climate change considerations, there is now an emphasis on using grade 60 to 70 bitumen.

Dewan Abuds Sabur said that only 10,000 km to 12,000 km of roads have been built to Gazeta 2021 standards. Most of the previous roads have already exceeded their 10-year lifespan and are easily damaged, requiring frequent repairs.

He added that the main reason why roads in Bangladesh do not last long is due to delays in timely maintenance.

Pressure on maintenance costs

LGED officials say new road construction projects are proposed every year, which limits government funding to repair damaged roads. Political leaders and bureaucrats often push for the construction of new roads, while in rural areas, some residents build houses on agricultural land, request road registration, and pressure the LGED to pave these roads.

LGED currently manages 211,314 km of unpaved roads, with approximately 17,000 km awaiting registration in the Monitor. Officials noted that about 90,000 km of registration applications have been submitted, with the Planning Commission approving 17,000 km of these for listing.

In the current financial year, there is an allocation of 20,180 million lei in the development budget.

Our correspondents Khorshed Alam in Bogura, Awal Sheikh in Khulna, Kazi Monirujjaman in Shariatpur and Sana Ullah Sanu in Lakshmipur contributed to the report.