The Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief has built over the last ten years at a cost of Tk39 crore, 162 small bridges and culverts on rural roads, canals, and rivers, improving communications in Mithapukur and Pirganj upazilas ars.
“The bridges and culverts have been constructed in the district under the ‘construction of bridge/culvert of around 15-metre in length on the rural roads’ project of the ministry,” said District Relief and Rehabilitation Officer ATM Akhteruzzaman.
The infrastructure is to improve rural road communication networks and manage excess water during calamities like floods to attain sustainable progress in rural areas to achieve sustainable development goals.
“Following construction of bridges and culverts ranging from 5 to 18 metres in length and 4.5-metres in width, people of 32 unions in these two upazilas are reaping the benefits of easier movement and transportation of agri-products to get fair prices,” he said.
Talking to BSS, Project Implementation Officer (PIO) of Mithapukur upazila, Md. Mosfiqur Rahman, said 80 bridges and culverts have been built at a cost of Taka 20.76 crore in all 17 unions of the upazila over the last ten years.
The infrastructure has been constructed at different points on the rural roads, canals, and rivers in all 17 unions of the upazila.
“Construction work on 25 more project bridges and culverts, at a cost of Taka 5.54 crore, is advancing rapidly in the upazila,” PIO Mosfiqur said.
Chairman of Moyenpur union in Mithapukur upazila, Mahabul Haque, said 11 bridges and culverts have been built in his union alone in the last ten years, improving rural road communications and ending misery of two lakh people.
Pirganj upazila PIO Mizanur Rahman said 82 bridges and culverts have been built spending Taka 18.16 crore in the last ten years in all 15 unions of the upazila, bringing a revolutionary change to rural road communications in the upazila.
“In addition to this, construction work on 18 more bridges and culverts for Taka 4.25 crore is in progress across Pirganj under the project, to further improve rural road communications in the upazila,” PIO Rahman said.
Tukuria union Chairman of Pirganj upazila, Ataur Rahman Mandal, said construction of the bridges and culverts has fulfilled a long-cherished demand of local people to improving road communications all across the upazila as well as adjoining areas.
Pirganj upazila Chairman Nur Mohammad Mandal, and Mithapukur Upazila Nirbahi Officer Md. Mamun Bhuiyan, expressed satisfaction with the quality of construction of the bridges and culverts that have improved road communication in these two upazilas.
