Construction work leaves Manik Mia Avenue sidewalk in disarray

Development work is an inseparable part of urbanisation. It is inevitable that sometimes even the busiest footpaths will have to be blocked, for the sake of maintaining the asphalt or repairing the utility lines that run underneath.

However, when this work stalls for a long time, it's the pedestrians who have to bear the brunt. As footpaths are the only allocated site for walking on roads, it becomes a problem when they are obstructed or cordoned off for months on end. Such a scene can be seen at the city's Manik Mia Avenue for nearly three months now.

While visiting the area on Friday, this correspondent saw the footpath on the NAM Bhaban side of the road resembling an obstacle course, as brickbats, sand, and other construction materials were scattered all over the place.

This is due to drainage work -- that started around three months ago, according to DNCC officials. The development work stretches from the opposite of Aarong to Indira Road T&T field.

Along with the difficulty of commuting on foot, the ongoing maintenance work also contributes to worsening air quality in the area as piles of sand and other construction materials are left uncovered, flouting the High Court order to cover up construction materials to curb air pollution.

Additionally, construction rods and drainage pipes are also cluttered across the footpath. This is forcing pedestrians to stray off the pavement and put themselves under risk of accident in one of the busiest roads in the city.

"We common people can't hold anyone responsible for this. We are used to seeing such disorderly construction work everywhere in Dhaka. No one usually thinks of the pedestrians; has the authority concerned thought of giving pedestrians alternative walkways before starting work in the area?" questioned Md Mizan, a pedestrian walking along the road.

Some pedestrians looked to avoid the hazardous and dusty construction side by crossing over to the other side of the road. Md Sadman was one of them.

"Who wants to walk next to the construction area? Can't you see that there is dust everywhere? I prefer to walk by the National Parliament side -- it is much cleaner," Sadman said.

An Ansar personnel named Manik, posted at Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation which falls on the construction site area, said, "The sand piles are kept open for several days, which releases dust in the area. Sometimes we need to spray water so that dust does not blow in the air."

Contacted, DNCC Assistant Engineer of Zone-5 Ejajul Islam Ansary said they were working on drainage system beneath the footpath to solve water logging issues in the area.

Regarding the disarray created by the scattered construction materials, he said, "There is high court order to cover up construction materials so that people do not have to suffer from dust. We are trying to do it properly. However, sometimes it's not possible as workers tend to rush their work."

"In most of the cases, the workers pile up the sand for two to three days and use it within the same period. As another pile comes in, they continue working in the same way and sometimes forget to cover up the sand due to the constant workload," he added.

He assured this correspondent that he will look into the matter and hoped for the work to be completed within the next two months.