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

Poor condition and damaged roads slow down the development of the rural economy and also make life difficult for commuters.

November 02, 2024, 07:15

Last modified: November 02, 2024, 12:46 pm

Two decades ago, when the 6-km Chitalia-Gayatla dirt road in Shariatpur Sadar Upazila was asphalted and widened to 10 feet, the upgrade came as a blessing for the people of eight unions. Their travel to upazilas and district towns became faster and more accessible when they became part of the local bus route.

But their happiness did not last long. A tedious drive down this road last week exposed the shoddy work and neglect that has plagued these rural networks for decades. The road surface was worn, and miles upon miles of road were littered with potholes and ditches, like ugly marks of smallpox on a once handsome face. In some places the stones fell away, exposing the soil. The last time buses plied the road was six years ago.

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

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Good roads improve life

This is one of the key aspects of improving the rural road, which connects farms to markets and facilitates local businesses. This makes rural life easier and brighter in many ways. Poor and damaged roads slow down the development of the rural economy and also make travel difficult.

Since no maintenance work has been carried out on the Chitalia-Gayatla road for seven years, road users like local high school teacher Liton Sardar and lightweight cyclist Miraz Sheikh have to struggle every day. The time and cost of their trip increased.

About 50% of the paved roads managed by LGED in Shariatpur district are in similarly poor condition.

Infographics: TVS

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Infographics: TVS

Officials of the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED), the government agency that constructs and maintains rural roads, said this is more or less the case for nearly 80% of the country’s 1.29 lakh km rural road network, which helps boost the local economy and livelihoods beyond facilitating the transportation of people and goods.

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

Their annual budget is sufficient to repair only 15% of damaged roads, and the amounts allocated in the annual budget are often not fully distributed, they added, explaining why rural roads have lain in a dilapidated state for a long time, leaving local residents in dire straits.

The July uprising didn’t help either

Mass protests in July and subsequent regime change in August, as well as the formation of a new government, have affected routine road maintenance, and periodic flooding and rain have further deteriorated road conditions, officials said.

The longer repairs are delayed, the more they will cost, says Dewan Abdus Saboor, executive engineer of LGED’s road and bridge maintenance division.

The government has allocated Tk 3,300 crore for road repairs against a requirement of Tk 21,485 crore in the current financial year, he said.

Road in Shariatpur. Photo: TVS

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Road in Shariatpur. Photo: TVS

According to him, with the allocation of funds in the current financial year, it will be possible to repair about 5,500 km of roads. However, some old roads have been repaired through the allocation of various development projects. According to a senior traffic engineer, an average of TRY 1,500-2,000 crore is being spent on repairs from the development budget.

Due to limited funds, they may perform scheduled maintenance every three to five years. In addition, emergency maintenance is needed to repair damage caused by natural disasters, officials said.

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

Floods and rains exacerbate road problems

The 6 km long Hajipara-Chodepalli road, part of the Laxmipur-Noakhali regional road, has been impassable for the last two years. Despite repeated appeals to former local MPs and members of the public, local residents have failed to return the road to traffic.

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

Moreover, most of the roads in Laxmipur district are now unfit for traffic. The situation worsened significantly after the flood.

In addition to flooding, dilapidated roads deteriorate during monsoons, adding to the misery of rural road users.

In several rural areas of Khulna, major roads remain unpaved, causing daily hardships for local residents. During the monsoons, these roads become muddy, making traveling through knee-deep mud almost impossible.

Road in Khulna. Photo: TVS

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Road in Khulna. Photo: TVS

The condition of the 3.5-km road from Baghardair to Ghazinagar in Magurkhali Union Dumuria upazila is another such poor road used by around 1,000 residents of five villages to commute to work every day.

Sameer, a local resident, said, “When the monsoon begins, 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 the road in Patharghata village of Rupsa Upazila in Khulna, where pedestrians are facing difficulties as the road has not been repaired for six years.

Marufa Akhter, a college student from Bhimpur village in Naogaon Sadar, said an important 20-km dirt road connects Naogaon town to the village, with Bhimpur police post on the western outskirts and Naogaon town on the eastern outskirts.

Even a little rain turns the road into knee-deep mud, making it unusable, she said.

“I have been observing this situation for the last 10 years. Everyone promises to build this road before the elections, but as soon as the votes are cast, no one follows through,” she complained.

Chota Changair village in Nandigram upazila of Bogura can be reached only from Vebarkuri Mauza via Talgachhi road. Locals carry rice and vegetables to market in wagons along dirt roads.

Smriti Khatun, a resident of the village, noted that road conditions during the monsoon season are so bad that van drivers often get into accidents while traveling.

“Ordinary people have no alternative as this situation continues year after year,” she said.

Good road works protect against flooding

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

“Supervision must play an important role in the quality of road works,” said Mahmoud Al Farooq, executive engineer of LGED, Feni, claiming that 70% of rural roads in the district are still in good condition even after Feni was severely damaged by severe flooding in the region. in decades.

According to him, this year they have already found additional funds for road repairs. “Two major flood damage response projects are being prepared and Feni will be on one of the lists along with Noakhali, also affected by the floods,” the official said.

Most LGED roads have a service life of more than 10 years.

According to the government gazette of 2004, upazila roads were initially constructed with a width of 12 to 18 feet and the latest gazette of 2021 states a maximum width of 24 feet for upazila roads and up to 30 feet for industrial or commercial roads with union roads. builds up to 12 feet wide.

The 2021 bulletin also requires the minimum road thickness to be 890mm in accordance with LGED, up from the previous minimum of 582mm. Due to climate change considerations, the emphasis is now on using grades 60–70 bitumen.

Dewan Abuds Sabur said that only 10,000 to 12,000 km of roads have been built according to the 2021 newspaper standards. Most old roads have already exceeded their 10-year service life and are easily damaged and require frequent repairs.

He added that the main reason why roads in Bangladesh are short-lived is due to delays in timely maintenance.

Pressure on maintenance costs

LGED officials say new road construction projects are proposed every year, limiting government funding for repairs to aging roads. Political leaders and bureaucrats often push for new roads to be built, while in rural areas some residents build houses on farmland, apply for road registration and pressure the LGED to build those roads.

LGED currently manages 211,314 km of unpaved roads, of which approximately 17,000 km are awaiting official gazette registration. Officials noted that around 90,000 km have been applied for registration, of which the Planning Commission has approved listing of 17,000 km.

In the current financial year, Tk 20,180 crore has been allocated in the development budget.

Our correspondents Khorshed Alam in Bogura, Awal Sheikh in Khulna, Kazi Monirujaman in Shariatpur and Sana Ullah Sanu in Laxmipur contributed to this report.