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Prolonged sufferings of the Dhaka city residents become increasingly unbearable as the roads, streets and alleyways across the capital lie unrepaired and potholed, while in many other areas road excavation for development works goes on endlessly, flouting rules. 

Under both the Dhaka south and north city corporations, in a large number of areas and neighbourhoods, particularly Jatrabari, Saydabad, old Dhaka, Mirpur and Rampura, battered and decrepit roads have become an endless source of hassles for people.  

The potholed roads in these areas regularly cause road accidents, as vehicles overturn and passengers often get critically injured. 

The monsoon days worsen the situation. During downpours, when rainwater fills up the deep potholes and levels them with the flooded roads, it often becomes deadly for the moving vehicles as they can hardly recognise the holes. 

Water gathering in the potholes during regular monsoon also causes water stagnation leading to hours of traffic congestions, a routine scenario at many roads.

Visits to many of the city streets and roads on Sunday revealed numerous potholes, while many were found with ongoing excavation work for various utility services.

The insufferable condition of the roads are seen all over the city, among other areas, in Mirpur, Mohammadpur, Uttarkhan, Dakshinkhan, Rampura, Hatirpool, Sayedabad, Jatrabari and Mugda, among other areas, some of which fall under the Dhaka North City Corporation, and some under the Dhaka South City Corporation.

According to the city corporation officials, there are around 1,340km of roads in the Dhaka north city, and 1,600km in the Dhaka south city.

At least 140km of roads in the north city require repairs, they said.  

Vehicular movement on the potholed-ridden 3km-long Sixty Feet Road in Mirpur has become most agonising.

Muhammad Rubel, a local vendor in Dakshin Pirerbagh, said that the road remained potholed for years without any repair work.

‘We do not see any visible move for a complete and proper repair of the road. City corporation people cover the potholes with brick chips sometimes,’ said Rubel, adding that the road has turned most awful during this monsoon.

Local rickshaw puller Haresh Miah said that he tried his best to avoid the road.

‘It is so difficult to pull rickshaw on that road. The stretches of that road passing through South, Central and North Pirerbagh areas are even more risky,’ said Haresh.

Dhaka North City Corporation Zone -4 executive engineer Ashraful Islam said on Sunday that a development project for the Sixty Feet Road had already been taken.

‘The drainage work under the development project has already started. It will take one or two more months and the road repairing will begin after the drainage work,’ said Ashraful, adding that the temporary road repair work had already started.

Adds to the agony is the lingering road digging, which has been undertaken for various utility services development projects, ongoing in the road from the Sixty Feet Paka Mosjid towards Mirpur Bangla School and College, in the road from Shewrapara metro rail station towards Sixty Feet Road, in the road from Kazipara metro rail station towards Ibrahimpur, and in the road from Agargaon towards Mirpur 10, among other DNCC areas. 

Dhaka north city superintending engineer Faruque Hassan Md Al Masud told ¶¶Òõ¾«Æ· on Sunday that the city corporation began repairing the potholes that would be completed within one week.

‘Roads dug by various agencies will be repaired after completion of their work,’ said Faruque.

The Dhaka City Road Digging Rules 2019 discourages road digging in the rainy months from June to October.

Responding to a question regarding the ongoing digging and the rules, Faruque said that the corporation allowed digging in some areas on emergency basis for utility services.

Potholes on the Banasree main road, used by trucks, and inter-district buses to bypass the city, were found being repaired on Sunday after causing sufferings to people for months.

Jurain resident and citizen rights activist Mizanur Rahman said that the roads from Gulistan towards Tikatuli, Dayaganj, Dholaipar, Gandaria, Jurain, Jatrabari, Sayedabad, Dania and Kadamtali were full of large gaping holes posing deadly risk to people for years.

‘Vehicles cannot run properly on these roads, causing huge traffic congestions all over the area. Accidents are also occurring regularly,’ said Mizanur.

He mentioned that authorities carpeted the Dayaganj-Dholaipar road last year but the repair was heavily damaged within few months.

‘We want permanent solution and quality work. But, we are suffering for years due to the city corporation’s negligence,’ he lamented.

Dhaka south city corporation superintending engineer Borhan Uddin claimed that the recent heavy rain caused potholes in some roads and they were planning to make the repairs within October.