Villagers' sufferings mount : Bridge constructed at half crore taka remains unusable in absence of access road in Sarishabari
Mostak Ahmed Monir, Sarishabari (Jamalpur)
A bridge constructed at a cost of nearly half a crore taka in Sarishabari, Jamalpur, remains unusable due to the absence of connecting roads and access routes.
As a result, nearly fifty thousand residents of five villages face regular hardship in commuting. This bridge is located in the crop field of Char Adra village under Satpoa Union of Sarishabari Upazila, Jamalpur. The bridge was built under the Rural Infrastructure Development Project of the Department of Disaster Management.
According to local sources, the 15-meter-long bridge was constructed at a cost of around half a crore taka under the Department of Disaster Management. Although the bridge has been constructed, no road has yet been built for public access. Consequently, it remains of no use to the residents of Satpoa Union’s Charruha, Char Rouha, Akandpara, Majaria, and Khamar Magura villages, along with two more nearby villages from the adjacent Madarganj Upazila — affecting thousands of people.
Due to the lack of connecting roads, locals are forced to travel daily across narrow paths through agricultural fields. Despite the passage of a long time since its construction, the bridge is still not usable for public transportation. Because of the muddy and uneven terrain on both sides of the bridge, children, the elderly, and even ordinary pedestrians face daily hardship. Moreover, transporting crops by farmers and commuting by students to schools has become extremely difficult.
Local representatives Hasanur Kabir Swapan, Masud Rana, Chan Mia, and Shomiron Bewa said that the residents were very happy when they heard the news of the bridge's construction. They thought that the long-standing commuting misery of several villages would finally come to an end. However, even after so much time since the bridge was completed, the lack of an access road has rendered it useless. They urged the authorities to immediately construct connecting roads on both sides of the bridge for the convenience of public movement.
In this regard, Upazila Project Implementation Officer Engineer Shawkat Jamil said that the construction work of the bridge has been completed. They are already aware of the bridge and the road situation. He assured that he would discuss the matter with the Upazila administration.
To alleviate the commuting woes of the people in that area, he also promised that soil will be cut and elevated roads will be constructed to connect the bridge.
