477 KM of Roads Unsafe Due to Lack of Repairs in Barguna

Barisal, September 7 (V7N) – In six upazilas of Barguna, approximately 477 kilometers of roads have become hazardous for travel due to insufficient repairs. Many of these roads are severely damaged, with asphalt and gravel eroded, resulting in numerous large and small potholes. Even minor rainfall causes these potholes to fill with water, leading to considerable inconvenience for local residents. Each day, countless people are forced to navigate these dangerous roads.

Despite residents' urgent requests for repairs, the roads remain in poor condition due to a lack of funding, according to Mahmud Hasan Khan, the Executive Engineer of the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED).

The deterioration of these roads has created significant challenges, particularly for patients and schoolchildren. The roads' poor state frequently results in accidents of varying severity, rendering them unsuitable for both cargo transport and pedestrian use.

The LGED office in Barguna reports that the district has a total of 6,343 kilometers of roads under its jurisdiction, including 1,430 kilometers of paved roads, 508 kilometers of semi-paved roads, and 4,405 kilometers of unpaved roads. Of the paved roads, there are 401 kilometers of upazila roads, 422 kilometers of union roads, and 607 kilometers of village roads.

Field inspections show that the 16-kilometer Lakurtola-Fuljuri via Bawalkor road in the Sadar upazila has been in disrepair for at least five years. Although some sections of the road were repaired last year, the majority of it remains in poor condition. Thousands of people, including students from primary and secondary schools and madrasas, use this road daily.

Miraj Mia from the Chalitatali area commented, "Traveling on this road feels like moving through sea waves. It seems that despite numerous MPs and chairmen coming and going, nothing changes for us. Even when the road is measured occasionally, no repairs are made."

The Barguna LGED office indicates that ideally, at least one-third of paved roads should be repaired each fiscal year. For the fiscal year 2024-25, 477 kilometers of the 1,430 kilometers of paved roads require repair. Repairing each kilometer is estimated to cost 6.5 million taka, totaling 3.1 billion taka for 477 kilometers. However, the allocated budget for road repairs in Barguna for 2024-25 is only 350 million taka.

Of this budget, 103.9 million taka is allocated for LCSD female workers, MMT, and administrative expenses, leaving only 246.1 million taka for actual road repairs. This amount covers only 12.59% of the required funds. Consequently, only 38 kilometers of the 477 kilometers of damaged roads can be repaired this year, leaving 439 kilometers unrepaired due to insufficient funds.

Mahmud Hasan Khan, Executive Engineer of Barguna LGED, stated, "We have submitted an 8 billion taka proposal to increase the budget for road repairs on a priority basis to the central office. If additional funding is approved, we will prioritize as many road repairs as possible. Otherwise, we will use the available funds to address repairs based on priority."