Residents of Koyra Upazila in Khulna district are irked over the poor condition of the road from Jhilighata Bazar to the 4 no Koyra Government Pond.
They allege that the construction of the road was completed just one month ago but was damaged at the beginning of the monsoon.
Local sources said just a month after construction of the 1.5-kilometre road portion of an important road in Koyra Upazila in Khulna collapsed, raising questions about the quality of the work.
According to the upazila Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) Office, the contracting company M/s Zaman Enterprises got 1.48-kilometre carpeting work of the road from Jhilighata Bazar to the 4 no Koyra Government Pond for the fiscal year 2021-22.
The budget of the project was Tk 1,74,95,076, with a deadline of March 9 last year, which was extended to December 30 of the same year.
On a recent spot visit, this correspondent reported although the carpeting work was completed, the road collapses at least in five places, including in front of Narayan Camp and 4 no Koyra Community Clinic. The soil on both sides of the road had settled, causing cracks in the asphalt. Proper soil support and guide walls were not provided on both sides of the road.
There were allegations of irregularities and the use of substandard materials during the construction. Due to the lack of proper soil support on both sides of the 1.5-kilometre road, five sections have already collapsed.
Local residents Abbas Ali, Ikramul Hossain, and several others said that they were very happy when the road was paved, but they are disappointed now. The work was done with substandard materials. It was left for two to three years without proper soil on the sides. The work was completed in April. The road is deteriorating in a short period. It doesn't seem like it will last long."
There are allegations that substandard gravel was used on the road, with only occasional patches of brick chips scattered on top. There were significant irregularities in the preparation of the subbase.
Zakir Hossain, who oversaw the work on behalf of Zaman Enterprise, denied the use of substandard materials, stating, "The slight damage occurred because the soil on the road's periphery settled due to rainwater. We will fix it quickly."
Afzal Hossain, the deputy assistant engineer of the LGED in Koyra Upazila, said, "The road was slightly damaged because the soil on both sides settled due to rainwater. The final bill has not yet been paid to the contracting firm. The contracting firm will promptly repair the damaged sections."
