Road Digging Causes Problems for Commuters in Mohakhali

The Dhaka North City Corporation is disobeying official directives and putting passengers through hardships by excavating a road from Mohakhali Rail Gate to Jahangir Gate during the rainy season.

One of the busiest streets in the city, Bir Uttam Ziaur Rahman Road is home to a number of educational institutions, commercial centers, and significant offices. Students, commuters, and pedestrians are consequently all having issues because of the digging.

Due to the reconstruction work, the road has been reduced to one lane, and there are several holes and water puddles. Pedestrians must proceed cautiously on the road, endangering their safety. Additionally, vehicles have been becoming mired in the mud.

Additionally, there are delays in traffic, particularly in the mornings and afternoons, as a result of the excavation work that has been going on on both sides of the road for about a kilometer. There have also been reports of minor accidents.

Furthermore, the situation has worsened as a result of the week's nonstop rain.

Officials from Dhaka North said that because the renovations were necessary, they started during the rainy season. By November, they claimed, the project will be finished.

Locals, meanwhile, are not pleased with the state of affairs. They contend that the city corporation ought to have postponed the excavation until after the wet season.

They are also worried about the possibility of accidents and the security of pedestrians.

"I frequently travel in our car, but because of the digging on the road for several days, I have to walk a long way before getting into the car," said Samiha Akhter, a student at BAF Shaheen College.

She claimed that because the pathway was also destroyed, people were forced to walk on the dangerous road.

"Now if you come by car on this road, you have to get covered in mud," remarked private car driver Shihab Talukder. In the morning, traffic is intolerable. We've been struggling for a few days since the path has gotten tight.

Due to the nation's rainy season, there is a five-month restriction on road digging from May to September, according government laws. However, in some circumstances, the municipal corporation might dig the road in case of an urgent requirement.

The Dhaka Metropolitan Road Excavation Policy-2019 stipulates that if the job is not finished within the allotted time limit, penalties may be imposed, including the suspension of excavation operations during daylight hours.

The urgency of the situation, according to Md Faruque Hassan Al Masud, executive engineer (Civil) of Zone-3 in Dhaka North, is why the road construction is being done.

For over two months, the road has been under construction. We regret that it is only a short-term issue. Sand will be spread on both sides of the road by August 15 in order to level them. Consequently, there won't be any traffic issues. By November, the project should be finished, he noted.

Additionally, he added, minimizing the impact of the inconvenience on people and keeping their suffering within tolerable bounds is the corporation's main goal.