RAJSHAHI, Jan 19, 2019 (BSS)- Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC) has taken an
initiative of implementing a road network project involving around Taka 3,000
crore aims at lessening the gradually mounting pressure on the existing
roads.
In the metropolis, population density has gradually been increasing with
influx of huge city-bound people and multiplication of high-rise buildings
day by day. Taking the issues into special consideration the RCC has taken
step of reshuffling the city’s road system. In the first phase, 15 roads will
be widened to 42 meters with 30-meter main road and six-meter footpath on
both sides each. Taka 500 crore will be spent for road construction while
Taka 2,500 crore for land acquisition under the ‘Rajshahi City’s Road Network
Development Project’.
RCC Chief Engineer Ashraful Haque said there are 250 kilometers of roads in
the city which is less than nine percent. Whereas, he said at least 25
percent road is essential for founding a planned city. To this end, step has
been taken to strength the city’s road network. The project is expected to be
implemented soon.
Engineer Ashraf said a Taka 182.68 crore road construction project is being
implemented along with construction of a flyover on the road over railway
track for the first time in Rajshahi city at present. The flyover with ramp
is being constructed at Budhpara Railway crossing with an estimated cost of
Taka 29.28 crore.
Twenty-five streets have been brought under lighting scheme with Taka 27
crore. To this end, installation of 1,285 poles including equal number of
lights– 1,173 LED and 112 solar– have been completed.
Beautification and lighting works at nine street-crossings were implemented
with at a cost of around Taka 2.76 crore.
In addition to the construction of 17-km footpath, Padma Library and
Miapara Public Library are being reconstructed with Taka 21.95-crore under
Sustainable Development of Rajshahi City through the Improvement and
Conservation of Social, Cultural, Environmental and Heritage Infrastructure
Project.
“We planted more than 5,000 trees on 10 km roads and encouraged citizens
for building fruit orchards. The corporation won the Prime Minister’s
National Award for tree plantation in 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2013,” he said.
The city corporation has also implemented a project titled ‘Zero soil’ to
cover all the available top soil with green and various trees,” Engineer
Ashraf added.
The corporation has constructed footpaths covering the open soil on
roadsides, improving the drainage system, increasing mango orchards and
beefing up the cleansing operations.
“We have implemented various infrastructure uplifting works in various city
areas with around Taka 106.68 crore in recent times,” said the RCC official.
Prof Ananda Kumar Shaha of Department of Zoology of Rajshahi University
said the greenery in and around Rajshahi city would instantly catch one’s
eyesight if one notices the city’s topography from an airplane or any
multistoried building.
Tree plantation and other activities for greenery also contributed to
reducing the air pollution in Rajshahi, he added.