Floods damage 582 rural roads across chattogram

Flooding has caused extensive damages to rural roads across Chattogram, with the worst-hit areas located in four upazilas in the south and three in the north of the district.

Prolonged inundation and strong currents disrupted road connectivity after nearly nine days of heavy rainfall and flash floods triggered by hill runoff. Floodwaters affected all 15 upazilas of Chattogram, as well as several parts of the metropolitan area.

The worst-affected upazilas were Satkania, Banshkhali, Chandanaish, Anwara and Lohagara, where large areas remained submerged for the longest period. In northern Chattogram, Sandwip, Hathazari, Rangunia and Fatikchhari also suffered significant flood damage.

The Local Government Engineering Department (LGED), which oversees rural roads, has been assessing the damage since floodwaters began receding. As of Wednesday, the department had identified damage to 582 roads, affecting a total of 391 kilometres.

The damage includes stripped asphalt surfaces, collapsed road sections, sunken reinforced concrete pavements and completely washed-away earthen roads. Most of the roads were damaged at multiple points.

Mohammad Jamal Uddin, executive engineer of LGED Chattogram, said the number of damaged roads is expected to rise as some roads in Sandwip, Hathazari and several other upazilas remain under tidal or floodwater.

LGED is responsible for constructing and maintaining asphalt roads, hot bituminous pavement (HBP) roads, reinforced cement concrete brick flat soling roads and earthen rural roads connecting upazila headquarters, unions and villages.

In Satkania alone, 40 roads spanning 25 kilometres have been damaged, along with five culverts. Six roads have been completely severed at their midpoints, cutting off transport links.

Upazila Engineer Sabuj Kumar Dey said the survey is still ongoing and the number of damaged roads is likely to increase. He estimated preliminary losses in Satkania around Tk150 million.

Banshkhali has also suffered severe damage after remaining inundated for more than seven days. Although floodwaters have receded from areas including Gondamara and Puichhari, parts of Baharchhara Union were still under water on Wednesday.

Upazila Engineer Mohammad Ifrad Bin Munir said preliminary assessments show that 60 roads covering about 110 kilometres have been damaged in Banshkhali. The extent of the damage may increase as floodwaters have yet to recede from some areas.

The floods also damaged culverts across the district. Around 180 culverts have been affected, with some sustaining partial damage and others collapsing completely.

Executive Engineer Mohammad Jamal Uddin said the district's preliminary flood damage has been estimated at approximately Tk1.8 billion. Repair work has already begun, with priority being given to reopening roads that remain completely impassable.