Jhalakathi, Apr 29 (V7N) - The ongoing renovation of the Bailey Bridge over the Binapani Canal on the Kanthalia, Patharghata, Bhandaria, and Khulna regional highways in Jhalakathi is causing significant hardship for passengers, pedestrians, and students. The concerned contractor for this Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) project has not constructed alternative roads, forcing travelers on 13 long-distance routes to endure an additional 24 kilometers of accident-prone and winding roads. The contractor has not provided a definitive timeline for the project's completion.

The renovation work commenced on April 21st and was initially scheduled to be completed by April 28th. However, less than one-third of the work has been finished to date. The absence of an alternative route since the bridge renovation began has created severe difficulties for hundreds of vehicles, thousands of passengers, pedestrians, and traders involved in the transportation of goods on 13 major routes, including Patharghata-Dhaka, Amua-Rajshahi, Patharghata-Chittagong, Kanthalia-Dhaka, Kanthalia-Chittagong, Kanthalia-Khulna, Khulna-Kathalia-Betagi, Khulna-Kathalia-Mirzaganj, Amua-Barisal, Patharghata-Barisal, Kanthalia-Jhalakati, and Amua-Bhandaria.

The only available alternative route is the perilous, extra 24-kilometer winding and pothole-ridden Kathalia-Rajapur road.

Thousands of students commuting to and from various educational institutions in the area, including Kanthalia Government Tafazzal Hossain Manik Mia Degree College, Kanthalia Government Pilot High School, Kanthalia Girls School and College, Kanthalia Sadar Fazil Madrasa, Alhaj KH Secondary School, Manaswita Women's College, Aman Ullah Degree College, MA Khalek Agricultural College, Sabiha Khatun Girls' School, Binapani School, Aman Ullah Alim Madrasa, Madhya Koikhali Government Primary School, Kanaipur Government Primary School, Kanthalia Disabled School, Binapani Bazar, and Kanthalia Upazila Sadar, are facing extreme difficulties in reaching their examination centers and classes on time.

Md. Abbas Boyati, a driver for Mizan Paribahan on the Patharghata-Dhaka route, stated that 13 routes of buses, transports, and trucks used this road daily. Due to the broken bridge and the lack of an alternative, vehicles on all these routes are now traveling an additional 24 kilometers on the dilapidated road.

Auto driver Md. Shaharum Munshi said, "We are unable to take passengers to Bhandaria because the bridge over the Binapani canal has been demolished. There are no stairs to get on and off the trawler. As a result, the number of passengers has decreased, and our income has fallen."

Musa Mariam Akhter, the headmaster of Kathalia Disabled School, lamented, "Students with special needs are unable to come to our school because the bridge is broken, and no alternative arrangements have been made for them."

Local UP member Md. Selim Talukder commented, "Although the bridge renovation work was supposed to be completed within a week, there is no certainty about when it will be finished. Especially since no alternative route has been constructed, passengers, students, and local people are crossing the canal at the risk of their lives."

Mariam Begum, a teacher at Alhaj KH Secondary School, described the temporary ব্যবস্থা (arrangement) for crossing, saying, "The trawler provided for people and students to cross is in very poor condition. We have to wade through muddy water to get on and off the trawler. Pregnant mothers, children, and the elderly are facing particular difficulty in crossing."

Md. Masukur Rahman, Deputy Assistant Engineer of the Jhalakathi Roads and Highways Department, stated that it is not possible to give an exact timeframe for the completion of the work. He mentioned that a trawler has been provided as an alternative for crossing, acknowledging potential difficulties if the water level drops during low tide.

END/AI/RH/