Dhaka – The roads connecting the Rangamati the hill town with and port city of Chittagong – badly damaged by last week’s landslide – is likely to be restored from Tuesday, according to sources in the Bangladesh Army.The Engineering corps of Bangladesh Army and Roads and Highways Department have already partially restored the movement of small vehicles from Ghagra to Sapchori and Sapchori to Manikchori. However, transport movement is being disrupted as about 100 metres road at Sapchori has totaly been washed away by Sunday’s devastating landslide.
Visiting the site, this correspondent yesterday found that the army personnel and RHD people working in full swing to rebuild the demolished part of the road at Sapchori to reconnect the two parts for smooth movement of vehicles between Rangamati and Chittagong.
‘Now, we are working to rebuild the totally collapsed part of the road at Sapchori that curtailed the road communication between Chittagong and Rangamati. We will work for three days from June 17-19 and the transport movement will resume from June 20 (Tuesday), said Major Md Sahriar Iftekhar, second in command of 19 Engineering Construction Battalion of Bangladesh Army.
Sources however said that movements of heavy vehicles might not be allowed untill the repair of the seriously damaged part of the road from Ghagra to Manikchori is completed. Earlier, Bangladesh Army and Roads and Highways Department cleared two sides of the road from Ghagra to Sapchori and Sapchori to Manikchori for movement of small vehicles by removing tonnes of landslide’s devris during the last few days.
Rangamati has virtually been isloated from other districts of the country following the landslides that left at least 113 persons killed only in Rangamati and made thousands others homeless. Businessmen in Rangamati incurred losses due to lack of movement to and from other districts.
Talking to this correspondent, Md Belayet Hossain Bhuiyan (Belal), president of Rangamati Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said seasonal fruits in the hill district are rotting as the landslides cut off road communication. It needs time to ascertain the losses. But I believe, the loss would come to Tk 5000,000 every day as they cannot trasport fruits to other districts, he said.
Belayet said their main demand of the hour is to restore the road communication immidiately. Healso said owners and operators of buses and trucks are also passing bad days as they do not have wrok right now. Deputy commissioner Manjurul Mannan yesterday held a meeting with business community leaders and sought their coperation to keep the prices of essential commodities under control.
Meanwhile, the district administration hasrestored launch service from Rangamati to Kaptai to use it as an alternative route to move to and from other districts. Besdies, electrcity supply has partially been restored from a Khagrachori power line. Executive magistrate Ikhtiaruddin Arafat said they managed to bring a huge quantity of fuel oil through waterways via Kaptai to meet the demand in the town. He said four mobile teams are working to monitor the market price.
The district control room incharge said the total landslide dearh figure in Rangamati stood at 113. Rescue operation has been wrapped up since Friday midnight. – Staff Reporter
