Recent flooding, triggered by heavy rain and upstream water, has caused extensive damage to roads and highways in Noakhali, Feni and Cumilla districts.
According to Road and Highways Department (RHD), nearly 737.21 kilometres of roads and national and regional highways have got damaged by floods.
During a visit to flood-hit areas, it was found that approximately 10 kilometres of Dhaka-Chattogram highway at Chauddagram in Cumilla and 10 kilometres of highway at Lalpol in Feni still remain submerged by floodwaters.
Besides, about two kilometres of highway from Lalpol to Muhuri remains submerged by floodwater. Traffic is moving slowly on Chattogram-Dhaka highway.
In Feni, recent floods have caused extensive damage to rural infrastructures. It was learnt that around 500 kilometres of road have been affected by floods.
It includes 342 roads and 40 bridges, and culverts, causing an estimated financial loss of over Tk 50 crore. While areas in Daganbhuiyan and Sonagazi upazilas still have residual water, floodwaters were receding in most of other upazilas.
Rural roads in Feni Sadar, Fulgazi, Chhagalnaiya, and Daganbhuiyan upazilas are now largely impassable due to flooding.
Reports from Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) indicate that nearly 3,000 roads in different areas were submerged by flood, resulting in significant erosion and developing large potholes on many thoroughfares.
Executive engineer of Feni LGED Mahmoud Al Farooq said that while floods have impacted numerous regions, low-lying areas saw significant damage. “Approximately 3,000 roads under the purview of our LGED were inundated, with around 500 kilometers of these roads sustaining damage in different areas.”
Additionally, numerous potholes have developed and about 40 bridges and culverts have been damaged. “With recession of floodwaters, we visited affected regions, and an initial assessment of damages is currently in progress. Renovation efforts will commence shortly,” he added. According to Binoy KumarPaul, executive engineer of Feni Roads and Highways Department (RHD), potholes have developed in several areas along highways and regional roads due to recent floods. But no significant structural damage was reported. A thorough damage assessment will be conducted soon after the flood situation improves.
Floods caused extensive damage to road infrastructure in Sylhet, Cumilla, and Chattogram zones.
A preliminary report from RHD showed that 13 road sections, including those in Moulvibazar, Habiganj, Brahmanbaria, Cumilla, Feni, Noakhali, Lakshmipur, Chattogram, Chattogram South, Cox’s Bazar, Bandarban, Rangamati, and Khagrachari, were damaged by flooding from August 20 to 26. Initial assessments suggest that at least 146 roads have been affected, with a total length of 737.21 kilometers. This includes 103.35 kilometers of national highways, 117.72 kilometers of regional highways, and 516.14 kilometers of district highways.
Furthermore, various roads have been inundated by heavy rain and upstream water. Currently 23 roads are closed to traffic, 20 of these closures are due to waterlogging while three are result of washed-out culverts. Severe flooding has led to partial washouts of several roads, the collapse of road embankments, and formation of numerous potholes on pavement surfaces in various locations.
Due to severe flooding in Cumilla and Feni, approximately 56 km of railway lines in the eastern region have been submerged. Of this, 15 km of the 49 km Laksam-Noakhali rail line still remain underwater.
The Chattogram-Dhaka, Chattogram-Nazirhat, and Chattogram-Cox's Bazar routes were also affected, with some sections temporarily waterlogged.
The Railway Eastern Zone Engineering Office has commenced renovation work, with one line operational and the other under repair, leading to the suspension of 15 trains on these routes.
Train movement on the Dhaka-Chattogram-Cox's Bazar line was halted for three days starting August 22 due to worsening conditions. Limited services resumed on August 26, with normal operations restored by August 27.
The most significant damage is reported on a 7-kilometre stretch of the Chattogram-Dhaka line from Fazilpur to Feni, where the track is completely destroyed by flood. Approximately 20 to 25 km of the railway from Muhuriganj to Gunoboti is also affected, with 6 to 7 km of the Fazilpur-Kalidah section severely damaged and underwater for four days. This 7-kilometre stretch requires reconstruction, estimated to cost around Tk 3 crore, according to railway officials.
Additionally, about 1 km of the Chattogram-Cox's Bazar line and 5 km of the Sholashar-Nazirhat line were damaged, with total financial losses estimated at Tk 6.5 million.
