400-foot bridge on Netrakona road now useless for lack of approach road

NETRAKONA, Dec 26: A 400-foot bridge on the Maizpara-Jayanagar road under Kalmakanda upazila in the district has been lying unused due to lack of approach roads. 

Sources said the bridge was constructed at a cost of Tk 3.23 million with the help of the Ministry of Relief and Disaster Management in the financial year 2017-2018.

After completing the construction, soil around the bridge was eroded during a flood, causing a serious problem to the locals.

The bridge was constructed on the canal in the Maizpara area. Everyday, about 5,000 people from at least 12 villages including Barakhavan, Chowhata, Ranagaon, Bishara, Goyapur, Udaipur, Pogla, Monkandia, Jayanagar, Durlabpur and Gutamandal use the bridge. But there is no end to the misery of pedestrians as there is no connecting road.

Some locals said after six months of construction of the bridge, the connecting roads on both sides collapsed during a flood. For almost a year and a half, no people have been able to use the bridge properly.

Pranoy Saha, a lecturer at Kalmakanda Government College, said everyday many students of different schools and colleges move along the road. They have to walk because the connection with the Maijpara bridge is not available. Construction of the link road will end the suffering of people including the students in the area.

Upazila Chairman Abdul Khalek said, "The bridge is not working because there is no connecting road. In this regard, I have asked the project officer and persons concerned to take necessary action. Hopefully, the problem will be solved soon. "

Upazila Project Implementation Officer Ashuduzzaman said some locals removed the soil of two sides of the bridge.  He further said necessary steps would be taken in this regard soon.

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