All-weather road in Kishoreganj was a solution. Now it's the problem.

[Homo Sapiens]

All-weather road in Kishoreganj was a solution. Now it's the problem​

Locals say the road disrupts the free flow of the water in the haor, causing untimely floods which damage crops​

The 29.73-km road built for better communication among Itna, Mithamoin and Astagram upazilas of Kishoreganj has become a major problem as it causes untimely floods and damages paddies on a wide range of land.

Photo: TBS

The 29.73-km road built for better communication among Itna, Mithamoin and Astagram upazilas of Kishoreganj has become a major problem as it causes untimely floods and damages paddies on a wide range of land. Photo: TBS

A 29.73 kilometre road constructed for smooth communication in three upazilas in the haor region of Kishoreganj has instead been wreaking havoc in the areas, causing untimely flooding and damaging paddy crops on thousands of hectares of land.

According to locals of Itna, Mithamoin and Astagram upazilas, the road, constructed between 2016-2020 at a cost of Tk874.08 crore, has impeded the flow of upstream water into the rivers through the haor.

Saidul Islam, a farmer from Tahirpur, Sunamganj, said that every year water accumulated in the haor area in March-April and flowed into the rivers quickly. "But now it gets trapped here for days, damaging paddies. This problem has been prevalent for the last few years."

Many said the Boro paddy, the only crop cultivated in the haor area, was frequently submerged by floods in April this year, causing damages of around Tk1,000 crore.

The impact of the road has prompted locals, experts and even the cabinet to look into the matter and not build any more roads in the haor area.

A key reason for the failure of the road has been the lack of an environmental survey.
Dr Md Khalequzzaman, environmental scientist and professor of geology at Lock Haven University in Pennsylvania, USA, said in a recent interview that a proper environmental survey was not carried out before the construction of the road.

Photo: TBS

Photo: TBS

He said, "The feature of the haor is the free flow of water. I suggested that if the road had to be built, at least 30% of the 30-kilometre road should be built in the form of a high bridge or flyover to allow water flow. Another feature of this road is that it is not creating any connectivity in a big sense."

Khalequzzaman said, "It has only been two years since the road was constructed. The environmental impact of this road will be more clearly felt in the event of major floods."

Nitesh Barua, executive engineer, RHD, Kishoreganj, said, "Since the matter is under high-level consideration, I will not comment on it. But I can say that presently there is no water on either side of the haor. And there are many bridges to allow the water to flow."

He also said that the cabinet meeting on 18 April decided that no more roads would be built in the haor after the untimely floods this year.

Kasmir Reza, president of the Environment and Haor Development Organisation, said, "Constructing such a road in the middle of the haor is an act against nature. This is disrupting the flow of water.

"There are not enough bridges on the road to allow the water to flow easily. The length of the drainage system of the road is only 900 metres. It takes more time for the water in the haor to flow down to the rivers. As a result, the water in the haor remains for days."

He added, "The crops in the haor lands can be severely damaged even if those remain submerged only for two days. A lot of paddies could rot due to this."

Abdul Karim Kim, general secretary of the Bangladesh Paribesh Andolon (BAPA), Sylhet, said, "Not only the all-weather road of Kishoreganj, but other roads in the haor area are also causing flooding problems. The biodiversity of the haor is being damaged due to the situation.

"There should not be any road in the haor. The authorities should develop a modern water transportation system here."

Photo: TBS

Photo: TBS

Water from incessant rain upstream in Meghalaya and Assam of India flows down to the Meghna River in Kishoreganj through rivers and haors in the Sylhet region. Locals said the all-weather road disrupts the free flow of water.

According to the Roads and Highways Department (RHD), Kishoreganj, the 29.73 km long all-weather road has 3 PC girders with a length of 590.47 metres, and 62 RCC box culverts with a length of 190 metres and 11 RCC girder bridges of 269.68 metres.

After the April cabinet meeting, Cabinet Secretary Khandaker Anwarul Islam said that people concerned have been directed to consider increasing the number of bridges to increase the flow of water in the haor area.

Besides, the RHD has been directed to conduct surveys in this regard to gauge the possibility of constructing 150m to 200m bridges on the road at every half kilometre distance.

Planning Minister MA Mannan said at the meeting that from now on only flyovers will be built in the haor areas, not high roads.

A total of 414 haors cover an area of 14,536 sq km in 50 upazilas of seven districts of Sunamganj, Habiganj, Kishoreganj, Netrokona, Sylhet, Moulvibazar and Brahmanbaria.

Since the haor area is submerged in water for most of the year, there is no crop in that area during that time. During the dry season, boro crops are grown in most parts of the haor. About 16% of the total paddy production in Bangladesh comes from the haor area.

According to the Department of Agricultural Extension, Boro paddy has been planted on 9.50 lakh hectares of land in the six haor districts this year.

All-weather road in Kishoreganj was a solution. Now it's the problem

Locals say the road disrupts the free flow of the water in the haor, causing untimely floods which damage crops

www.tbsnews.net

 

[bluesky]

All-weather road in Kishoreganj was a solution. Now it's the problem​

Locals say the road disrupts the free flow of the water in the haor, causing untimely floods which damage crops​

The 29.73-km road built for better communication among Itna, Mithamoin and Astagram upazilas of Kishoreganj has become a major problem as it causes untimely floods and damages paddies on a wide range of land.

Photo: TBS

The 29.73-km road built for better communication among Itna, Mithamoin and Astagram upazilas of Kishoreganj has become a major problem as it causes untimely floods and damages paddies on a wide range of land. Photo: TBS

A 29.73 kilometre road constructed for smooth communication in three upazilas in the haor region of Kishoreganj has instead been wreaking havoc in the areas, causing untimely flooding and damaging paddy crops on thousands of hectares of land.

According to locals of Itna, Mithamoin and Astagram upazilas, the road, constructed between 2016-2020 at a cost of Tk874.08 crore, has impeded the flow of upstream water into the rivers through the haor.

Saidul Islam, a farmer from Tahirpur, Sunamganj, said that every year water accumulated in the haor area in March-April and flowed into the rivers quickly. "But now it gets trapped here for days, damaging paddies. This problem has been prevalent for the last few years."

Many said the Boro paddy, the only crop cultivated in the haor area, was frequently submerged by floods in April this year, causing damages of around Tk1,000 crore.

The impact of the road has prompted locals, experts and even the cabinet to look into the matter and not build any more roads in the haor area.

A key reason for the failure of the road has been the lack of an environmental survey.
Dr Md Khalequzzaman, environmental scientist and professor of geology at Lock Haven University in Pennsylvania, USA, said in a recent interview that a proper environmental survey was not carried out before the construction of the road.

Photo: TBS

Photo: TBS

He said, "The feature of the haor is the free flow of water. I suggested that if the road had to be built, at least 30% of the 30-kilometre road should be built in the form of a high bridge or flyover to allow water flow. Another feature of this road is that it is not creating any connectivity in a big sense."

Khalequzzaman said, "It has only been two years since the road was constructed. The environmental impact of this road will be more clearly felt in the event of major floods."

Nitesh Barua, executive engineer, RHD, Kishoreganj, said, "Since the matter is under high-level consideration, I will not comment on it. But I can say that presently there is no water on either side of the haor. And there are many bridges to allow the water to flow."

He also said that the cabinet meeting on 18 April decided that no more roads would be built in the haor after the untimely floods this year.

Kasmir Reza, president of the Environment and Haor Development Organisation, said, "Constructing such a road in the middle of the haor is an act against nature. This is disrupting the flow of water.

"There are not enough bridges on the road to allow the water to flow easily. The length of the drainage system of the road is only 900 metres. It takes more time for the water in the haor to flow down to the rivers. As a result, the water in the haor remains for days."

He added, "The crops in the haor lands can be severely damaged even if those remain submerged only for two days. A lot of paddies could rot due to this."

Abdul Karim Kim, general secretary of the Bangladesh Paribesh Andolon (BAPA), Sylhet, said, "Not only the all-weather road of Kishoreganj, but other roads in the haor area are also causing flooding problems. The biodiversity of the haor is being damaged due to the situation.

"There should not be any road in the haor. The authorities should develop a modern water transportation system here."

Photo: TBS

Photo: TBS

Water from incessant rain upstream in Meghalaya and Assam of India flows down to the Meghna River in Kishoreganj through rivers and haors in the Sylhet region. Locals said the all-weather road disrupts the free flow of water.

According to the Roads and Highways Department (RHD), Kishoreganj, the 29.73 km long all-weather road has 3 PC girders with a length of 590.47 metres, and 62 RCC box culverts with a length of 190 metres and 11 RCC girder bridges of 269.68 metres.

After the April cabinet meeting, Cabinet Secretary Khandaker Anwarul Islam said that people concerned have been directed to consider increasing the number of bridges to increase the flow of water in the haor area.

Besides, the RHD has been directed to conduct surveys in this regard to gauge the possibility of constructing 150m to 200m bridges on the road at every half kilometre distance.

Planning Minister MA Mannan said at the meeting that from now on only flyovers will be built in the haor areas, not high roads.

A total of 414 haors cover an area of 14,536 sq km in 50 upazilas of seven districts of Sunamganj, Habiganj, Kishoreganj, Netrokona, Sylhet, Moulvibazar and Brahmanbaria.

Since the haor area is submerged in water for most of the year, there is no crop in that area during that time. During the dry season, boro crops are grown in most parts of the haor. About 16% of the total paddy production in Bangladesh comes from the haor area.

According to the Department of Agricultural Extension, Boro paddy has been planted on 9.50 lakh hectares of land in the six haor districts this year.

All-weather road in Kishoreganj was a solution. Now it's the problem

Locals say the road disrupts the free flow of the water in the haor, causing untimely floods which damage crops

www.tbsnews.net

Wide two-chamber 10m wide Box Culverts @500m or so across/ below the road should have been planned and constructed to allow free flow of Haor water through them.

Sometimes, it just disturbs me to see why planners in Bangladesh have so low level of engineering knowledge. They just cannot do simple things yet talk about BUET and CHUET.

People are fond of giving political solutions to engineering problems. I have seen similar things in also a few railway tracks. I also saw river dikes without the needed number of sluice gates.

No wonder, with this kind of @UKBengali type of heavy talents, BD will remain an underdeveloped country for at least the next thousand years.

 

[bluesky]

All-weather road in Kishoreganj was a solution. Now it's the problem

Bold part: Guys, I see a new definition for the all-weather road. This BD road, whatever is named, is unusable when it is rainy season. Yet, it is an all-weather road.

Not actually BAL style or BNP style, it is BD style.

 

[Destranator]

Wide two-chamber 10m wide Box Culverts @500m or so across/ below the road should have been planned and constructed to allow free flow of Haor water through them.

Sometimes, it just disturbs me to see why planners in Bangladesh have so low level of engineering knowledge. They just cannot do simple things yet talk about BUET and CHUET.

People are fond of giving political solutions to engineering problems. I have seen similar things in also a few railway tracks. I also saw river dikes without the needed number of sluice gates.

No wonder, with this kind of @UKBengali type of heavy talents, BD will remain an underdeveloped country for at least the next thousand years.

I can't believe they designed a road without flood modelling.
This a whole new level of stupid.
In developed nations, they design roads with consideration for Probable Maximum Flood (PMF) tied to predicted climate change for the design life.
You can't get government approval of design without drainage design being carried out by competent designers and checkers.
I guess since BD is more advanced than Singapore, we are exempt from such requirements.

 

[bluesky]

I can't believe they designed a road without flood modelling.
This a whole new level of stupid.
In developed nations, they design roads with consideration for Probable Maximum Flood (PMF) tied to predicted climate change for the design life.
You can't get government approval of design without drainage design being carried out by competent designers and checkers.
I guess since BD is more advanced than Singapore, we are exempt from such requirements.

Well, this is our Golden Bangladesh. You now understand why I feel soooo pessimistic about the economic development of this country. It is full of bragging idiots.

Britishers administrated over us for about 190 years. But we failed to learn anything from them except a few English words that we are trying our best to forget.

Neither administration nor medicine or engineering. So, what Indians can do by themselves, we just cannot do. It is because the Indians learned from them and we kept on wasting time on the prayer mats. Think of Farakka, Bridge over the Brahmaputra in Assam, or locomotives and train coaches.

Now, @UKBengali will come out with his 2041 highly-developed BD.

Hardinge Bridge is a steel truss bridge built by the Britishers from 1910 to 1917. Can you cite one such bridge over any river designed and built by our superstitious Mulla engineers?

There are thousands of other examples.

 

[mmr]

Morons lol

 

[bluesky]

Morons lol

Above is a picture of a flooded two sides of a railway line showing a narrow old-style opening. One can see the difference between the water levels on the right and on the left.

The wing walls have been washed by the heavy horizontal water pressure. The rail line was certainly supported by two steel girders (I-shape) below the tracks. These are not seen now because they have been also washed away.

Kishoreganj road needs many such facilities but they must be Box Culverts. The above with two steel girders may be good for train lines. But, a road needs reinforced concrete box culverts.

Unless the R&H department build 10m wide double chamber box culverts every 500 to 1,000 meters, one can expect the road to be submerged or weaken before much of the road is washed away.

 

[mmr]

View attachment 854843

Above is a picture of a flooded two sides of a railway line showing a narrow old-style opening. One can see the difference between the water levels on the right and on the left.

The wing walls have been washed by the heavy horizontal water pressure. The rail line was certainly supported by two steel girders (I-shape) below the tracks. These are not seen now because they have been also washed away.

Kishoreganj road needs many such facilities but they must be Box Culverts. The above with two steel girders may be good for train lines. But, a road needs reinforced concrete box culverts.

Unless the R&H department build 10m wide double chamber box culverts every 500 to 1,000 meters, one can expect the road to be submerged or weaken before much of the road is washed away.

When it comes to long term planning.... bd has idiotic ppl with pride. Cant do shit talk too much.

That also tells u how poor bd knowledge base is. Not only in private sector but in government and society as a whole.

 

[bluesky]

When it comes to long term planning.... bd has idiotic ppl with pride. Cant do shit talk too much.

That also tells u how poor bd knowledge base is. Not only in private sector but in government and society as a whole.

Our people are genetically fitted with false pride. Other people learn from others and adapt them to develop their own countries. But, BD people are not apt at learning.

A project must be planned by considering all the adverse issues. But, BD people just cannot do it. This is not the first time I have seen a rail or road built without considering the flood factor. I have seen also box culverts through which boats cannot pass from one side to the other.

They just do not take into account this boat passage matter and decide on the top level of a box culvert. They expect SkyPower to solve the issue.

 

[Arthur]

Stupidity & incompetence in flesh.

It's being reported that they have built this road without proper environmental impact survey & no water modeling was done to prepare the design.

It's clear that they just built it whimsically to satisfy their political interest & show off.

This road is one of the major factors behind the catastrophic flood we are seeing in Sylhet region.

Such a shame.

 

[bluesky]

Now, please watch about the causes of the flood in Sylhet. It is the same in Kishorganj. Too many unplanned road constructions and the country is suffering from floods created by Hasina Bibi.