Road collapse paralyses 12 villages in Cumilla

Hundreds of residents in 12 villages of Debidwar upazila, Cumilla have been left stranded after a vital road, renovated less than a year ago spending Tk 1 crore, collapsed on Monday.

The collapse occurred on the Syedpur Bazar-Pairankul Abdu Market stretch, linking Kalikapur and Shalghar roads in Pairankul village.

With traffic suspended, people from Barshalghar, Yousufpur, Subil, Fatehabad and nearby unions are facing severe communication problems.

Locals expressed frustration, pointing out that the road had been repaired only a year back.

They alleged the damage could have been avoided if proper retaining walls had been built, as the road runs adjacent to a fish project.

Contractor Mohammad Mahfuzur Rahman, owner of Mahfuz Enterprises, who was responsible for the renovation, defended the construction.

He blamed the collapse on water pressure from a canal on one side and leakage from a nearby fish farm, but assured that repairs would begin soon.

Upazila Engineer Sabuj Chandra Sarker, who inspected the site, said pond erosion and canal water pressure had weakened the embankment, leading to the collapse.

He also said that the repair work will begin soon to restore normal traffic.