RANGAMATI LANDSLIDES Ctg-Rangamati road reopens for light vehicles
Movement of light vehicles resumed on Chittagong-Rangamati road on Wednesday afternoon, eight days after it was made off-limits to traffic due to massive landslides in Rangamati.
Road transport and highways division secretary MAN Siddique reopened the road around 2:30pm at Shalbagan, some 10 kilometres off the district town.
Chief engineer of Roads and Highways Department Ebne Alam Hasan, general officer commanding
of army, Chittagong region Jahangir Kabir Talukder, Chittagong divisional commissioner Ruhul Amin, Rangamati deputy commissioner Manjarul Mannan and superintendent of police Sayed Tarikul Hassan, were present, among others on the occasion.
The road communication was restored for facilitating people’s movement and transportation of goods, Siddique said.
A bailey bridge would be constructed at Shalbagan point, he said, adding that it would take one more month to restore communications through Chittagong-Rangamati road for heavy vehicles.
The Chittagong-Rangamati road was badly damaged at Shalbagan due to massive landslides and it was shut since June 13.
GOC of army Chittagong region Jahangir Kabir Talukder assured the secretary that all-out cooperation from army engineering core will be provided to the Roads and Highways Division to restore communication on all roads in Rangamati, including Rangamati-Khagrachhari and Rangamati-Bandarban roads.
After opening the road, a long queue of light vehicles like three-wheelers, auto-rickshaws, goods carrying mini jeeps, small trucks and motorcycles was seen from both directions.
The landslides, caused by heavy downpour in Rangamati, Chittagong, Bandarban, Khagrachari, Cox’s Bazar and Moulvibazar, killed at least 166 people from June 12 to June 18.
The landslide occurred weeks after Cyclone Mora that killed at least seven people and damaged tens of thousands of homes.
Experts blame the latest tragedy of landslides on uncontrolled denuding of and soil extraction from hills above unplanned settlements.
News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net
