Even though a culvert has been constructed, the people of the area have to face difficulties in commuting as the soil is not filled on both sides. Local residents have to travel on the culvert with wooden steps (ladder) on both sides. Residents complained that the construction of the culvert was completed two years ago, but the soil was left unfilled on both sides. The condition of the culvert built on the Malibari canal in the village of Subidkhali, Mirzaganj, Patuakhali.
It can be seen that the culvert has been constructed but the connecting road has not been constructed. Due to which the culvert has been constructed with wooden steps on both sides to make it suitable for use, but no vehicles can travel on foot. Thousands of residents including young students are suffering. Especially women and children have become very dangerous to travel.
According to Upazila LGED office sources, 7 m from Siraj Electrician's house to East Subidkhali Wapda under non-municipal project in 2019-2020 financial year. Upazila LGED invited tenders for the construction of three box culverts at 540m and 990m chains. M/s Link Traders of Patuakhali got the job at a cost of 47 lakh 72 thousand 819 taka. However, after more than two years, the culvert was constructed in front of Siraj Electrician's house but the connecting road was not constructed. As a result, this expensive culvert is coming into use. Work on one of the other two culverts is lagging behind. There is no news of the other. However, the contractor says that the work will be started soon.
A few local residents including Mujibar and Shaheen said that the new culvert has been done but as the road has not been made, they have to cross the wooden stairs at risk. Now I am somehow moving by stairs, but when the monsoon season comes, even that cannot be done. Then there is the possibility of slipping down the stairs and getting injured or even falling to death. So I demand the construction of a road to get up to the culvert quickly.
In this regard, Nipun, the owner of the related contracting company, M/s Link Traders, said, "The connection road with the culvert is not connected, so I did not build
the road."
Upazila Engineer Ashikur Rahman said that a letter has been sent to the contractor for the construction of the culvert connecting road.
