DHAKA, Nov 16, 2020 (BSS) – The government is planning to undertake Taka 5,905.59 crore project to conserve the rural road network system through rehabilitating the affected roads, bridges and culverts due to cyclone Amphan and the recent flood.
The Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) under the Local Government Division will implement the project titled “Rehabilitation of affected rural road infrastructures due to cyclone Amphan and Flood” with an estimated cost of Taka 5,905.59 crore with entire government fund by December 2023.
“The project is likely to be placed before the ECNEC meeting tomorrow,” said a senior Planning Commission officer.
Talking to BSS, Planning Commission member Md Zakir Hossain Akand said they had first received the DPP of this project after the Cyclone Bulbul had hit the country last year.
But, with the passage of time, the Cyclone Amphan hit the coastal belt and other parts of the country earlier this year while the project areas also experienced flood, he added.
Zakir, member of the Agriculture, Water Resources and Rural Institutions Division of the Planning Commission, said considering the extent of damages of the cyclone Bulbul, Amphan and the recent flood, the project has been formulated to rehabilitate the affected rural roads, culverts and bridges.
“Under the project, the affected roads, culverts and bridges (due to cyclone Bulbul, Amphan and flood) will be rehabilitated,” he added.
Another official at the Planning Commission said that the project also aims to reduce the transportation cost and time through ensuring a sustainable road maintenance system, simplifying the marketing system of various produces, generating more rural employments and thus keeping operational the rural economy.
The project area covers cyclone Amphan affected 69 upazilas under 14 districts of Khulna, Barishal, Chattogram and Dhaka Divisions, flood affected 182 upazilas under 28 districts of Rangpur, Rajshahi, Khulna, Dhaka, Mymensingh, Sylhet and Chattogram divisions.
Besides, the project area also covers some 139 upazilas under 22 districts of Rajshahi, Khulna, Dhaka, Mymensingh and Chattogram divisions which were affected due to excessive rain.
The main project operations include rehabilitation of some 2388.34 km upazila roads, rehabilitation of some 2274.68 km union roads, rehabilitation of 78km RCC roads, reconstruction of some 268 bridges with a cumulative length of 4631.85 meter, reconstruction of some 239 culverts with a cumulative length of 692.37 meter and tree plantation along 328km roads.
Besides, there will be construction of some 8,000km union roads and 12,000km rural roads as well as construction of 1,40,000 meter bridges and culverts on upazila and union roads. Apart from this, there will be construction of 50,000 meter bridges and culverts on village roads.