Fund constraint halts construction of Khagrachhari bridge halfway
Tintahari-Chenguchhara bridge at Manikchhari in Khagrachhari. Photo: Jasim Majumder
Construction of a bridge over Tintahari-Chenguchhara canal at Manikchhari upazila here has remained suspended for the last three years due to fund constraint. The construction work that started on June 1in 2007 comes to a halt halfway in May 2008, leaving around 20,000 people of 18 villages detached from the upazila headquarters of Manikchhari, sources said. Construction of the bridge was scheduled to be completed in December in 2008. Chittagong Hill Tracts Development Board (CHTDB) started the construction of the 180-foot-long and 10-foot- wide bridge over the canal between Tintahari and Chenguchhara under a project involving Tk 55 lakh. The board was implementing work in the greater interest of people, mostly farmers who sell vegetables at Titahari Bazar -- the biggest vegetable market in Khagrachhari. Constractor Ananta Tripura, who got the work on May 25 in 2007, said he was forced to stop the construction after completion of some 85 percent of the work as allocation could not be released. Rahman Mondal, 59, a farmer of Dashbil village, said the local people were very happy when the construction work began as due to absence of a bridge over the canal had been causing sufferings for the last three decades. He said they are now shocked to see that the construction of the bridge could not be completed though around 85 percent of the work has already been done. Aungyia Marma of Aksayttapara village said they suffer most during the rainy season when the canal become full of water. He said they face difficulty in taking the ailing people to the hospitals on the other bank. Mohammad Babul, local representative of the contractor, said rest of the construction work of the bridge can be completed within one month if the authorities release the fund. Batnatali Union Parishad Chairman Mohammad Arab Ali said several thousand people of the remote areas have been suffering a lot as the canal with an incomplete bridge kept them detached from the upazila headquarters till date. Arab said many occasions they even don't get any boat to cross the canal and take emergency patient to hospital. The UP chairman said they want the government to allocate the funds to complete the bridge and put an end to suffering of the villagers. Manikchhari Union Parishad Chairman Mohammad Abul Kashem said during the rainy season many farmers get most of the products rotten as they have no transport to carry those to Tintahari Bazar for sale. Manikchhari Upazila Chairman Mohammad Abdur Jabbar said people also suffer when they can not communicate with upazila headquarters in time. On the other hand Assistant Engineer Prakrity Bijoy Chakma of the CHT development board blamed the contractor for stopping the work halfway. Prakrity, also superviser of the bridge, said fund went back as the contractor could not complete the work timely. He, however, said they are trying to complete construction of the bridge under an ADB project by 2010-2011 financial year.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel.
Comments