The embankment road of the Meghna-Dhanagoda Irrigation Project, one of Bangladesh’s major flood control and irrigation schemes, has become increasingly hazardous due to a lack of maintenance, heavy vehicle movement and persistent monsoon rains, raising safety concerns among local residents.
Large potholes have developed along several stretches of the road, with locals warning that the condition could deteriorate further unless comprehensive repairs are carried out during the ongoing rainy season.
Project authorities said repair work had already begun, although they acknowledged resource constraints.
According to officials, the 66-kilometre embankment road was constructed by the Chandpur Roads and Highways Department in phases over the past six years. Since completion, sections of the road have been damaged by adverse weather, while delayed maintenance allowed small potholes to develop into larger ones.
Although local volunteer groups temporarily filled some of the damaged sections with soil, many of those areas have since deteriorated further, with cracks also appearing in the asphalt surface.
Recent inspections found that a nearly 25-kilometre stretch between Shatnal and Amirabad had suffered extensive damage following heavy rainfall. Large potholes have appeared at 10 to 12 locations, while another 40 to 50 smaller potholes have developed along the route.
Residents said that repair work carried out last year involved placing concrete over sandbags. As the bags deteriorated over time, the repaired sections subsided, requiring further temporary filling with soil.
Obayed Ullah, a resident of Ekhlaspur, said sandbags and soil had been used to repair damaged sections last year, but covering the bags with concrete had failed to provide a lasting solution.
Iqbal Hossain, another resident of the area, said the large potholes posed a serious accident risk, particularly for vehicles travelling at night.
Nurul Islam, a resident of Sankirbhanga village, said rainfall initially damaged the road, but heavy vehicles, including excavators and large goods trucks, had significantly worsened the condition. He urged the authorities to take the issue into consideration.
Md Selim Shahed, executive engineer of the Meghna-Dhanagoda Irrigation Project in Chandpur, said potholes had formed because of rainfall and the movement of heavy vehicles.
“Repair work has already started. The repairs will be more durable if carried out in coordination with the Roads and Highways Department. We are trying to coordinate with them,” he said.
Md Yunus Ali, executive engineer of the Chandpur Roads and Highways Department, said the department was aware of the road’s condition and had begun repair work.
He said the warranty period for one section built by a contractor had already expired and the department was facing a shortage of manpower, but efforts were continuing to restore the road.
