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Bridge on the river Karnaphuli

A crisis that remains ignored for years

ABDULLAH AL MAHMUD
THE century-old Kalurghat rail and road-bridge once again emerged as the only means of linking the southern region of Chittagong division on the other bank of the river Karnaphuli with rest of the country. Thus forcing millions of people to wallow in untold sufferings and miseries for years together.
Despite having a well-developed road network with Arakan Sarak (Ctg-Cox's Bazar highway) the road communication of this region is maintained through this bridge alone in a century-old fashion when another bridge over the Karnaphuli remains the "crying need" unheeded and ignored by the authorities concerned.
Sole dependence on the Kalurghat bridgeoriginally a railway bridge that was modified to facilitate the movement of road transport as an interim service providershow the severity of a problem that requires to be addressed immediately on an emergency basis.
At present millions of people of south Chittagong, hilly district of Bandarban and Cox's Bazar are forced to travel over the bridge risking their lives and undergoing unthinkable sufferings. Transportation of goods is also made through the dilapidated and worn out bridge that poses threat to the bridge itself and, therefore, the communication facility.
In case of any accident the road link of the region with the other parts of the country is sure to collapse for an indefinite period.
The 2094-ft long bridge was installed as a simple rail bridge of steel structure between Janalihut and Gomdandi Railway Station (at kms 13.11 - 14.8) in 1930.
British engineers constructed it with 13 different types of spans that include one 150ft-steel girder, twelve 100ft under-slung ones, five pieces of 80ft and a single 40ft deck type span and twelve 16ft joists. It has an approach of 560ft length at Chittagong end and 490ft at the Dohazari end.
The bridge was commissioned for operation of trains in Chittagong-Dohazari section in the year 1931 to continue till date.
Thirty-one years after its inauguration, considering suffering of the people it was modified with decking
and carpeting and turned into a rail and road-bridge in 1962.
With a road space of only 10ft the bridge was opened to the traffic allowing vehicles having a maximum load of 10 tons within a restricted maximum speed of 16 kms per hour to provide an interim service until the construction of a road bridge.
Since then the bridge served as a vital road link here for the 30 years till the Shah Amanot Bridge (locally known as the Karnaphuli bridge) was constructed over the river Karnaphuli in 1990.
Shah Amanot Bridge brought about a great change in the communication here shortening both the distance and time needed for the journey to a significant extent.
But within ten years of its opening the bridge was closed for heavy vehicles as its wooden deck developed cracks and became worn out at many places. The people now travel through the 'tenure expired and narrow bridge' of Kalurghat risking their lives with several times higher and ever-increasing volume of traffic movement everyday.
Besides, one-way traffic along the bridge creates an unbearable
congestion of vehicles on both the ends of the bridge where the travellers have to wait one to two hours in long queues to cross the bridge alone, which should usually be a 30-minute journey.
Bangladesh Railway, the owner of the bridge, leases it out every year to earn a lot of revenue that stood at over Tk. 1 crore in the auction this year for the use of road transportation.
Bangladesh Railway has two other such rail and road bridgesone on the river Teesta in Lalmonirhat and the other on the river Kanchon on Dinajpur-Bilra section, both in the western zone.
Though smaller in size when compared with those two, Bangladesh Railway finds this lone rail and road-bridge in its eastern zone as the most important one in terms of utility and revenue earning. People blame Bangladesh Railway for not undertaking any renovation work of the bridge that brings in a handsome economic profit for it
However, the owning authority also appears to be quite alert to the condition of the bridge and sufferings of the people when it goes on with regular decking and carpeting
work on the bridge side by side erecting railings on both the sides.
Besides, the authority is also learnt to have come up with proposal and actively thinking for the renovation and expansion of the bridge.
When contacted the Additional Chief Engineer (Bridge) of Bangladesh Railway (East) Abul Quashem said, "We have already sent a proposal for renovation and expansion of the bridge to the higher authority to include it in the five-years plan some two years back and the authority is quite aware of the need of everyone using the bridge."
"But the proposal failed to have immediate response as there are many aspects related to it," Engineer Quashem told this correspondent . "The bridge was opened to traffic to provide interim service until the authority responsible to look after the issue comes up with a new bridge considering the inconvenience of the people. "In case of renovation , the expenditure has to be kept to the minimum as emergence of an alternative or a permanent solution might cause huge financial losses rendering the entire
development of little use," he added.
The Chittagong-Dohazari section remains one of a "poor utility" with a negligible number of passengers and construction of an indispensable road bridge is sure to make the rail-road bridge of little importance he said.
"However, the proposal for renovation was made and we will be looking forward to address any inconvenience and consider any suggestion from any quarter in this regard," he told The Daily Star.The Railway had already taken a project for extending the Chittagong-Dohazari section up to the Dohazari-Cox's Bazar, he added.
The preliminary works and survey of the Dohazari-Cox's Bazar Track Extension Project has already been completed and the PCP has been submitted for further necessary government approval. The feasibility studies and financing of the project might cost Tk. 800 crore.
"With the completion of this extension project that aims at operating more trains and introducing wagons in this route, apart from renovating the Kalurghat bridge we will need to construct another bridge on the Karnaphuli," Engineer Quashem said. "A proposal for such a new bridge with an estimated cost of Tk. 166 crore has been sent to the higher authority and the authority is actively considering it, he added."
Meanwhile, in a bid to raise a glimmer of hope the Roads & Highway (R&H) authorities took an initiative to construct a cable-bridge on the river.
The bridge got ECNEC approval early this year and the tender, seeking technical and financial offer for the 1000-metre bridge to be completed within three years involving some TK 500 crore , was floated.
But conditions of the tender schedule raised some controversy that slowed down the implementation of the construction plan of the
bridge.
An unofficial proposal for construction of a multi-purpose bridge on the Karnaphuli like the Jamuna Multi-purpose bridge as a jointventure project of Railway and R&H was made.
While talking to this correspondent Executive Engineer (development and planning) of Bangladesh Railway Md. Arifuzzaman said, "construction of such a multipurpose bridge under joint-venture would save huge expenditure and present a good bridge over the Karnaphuli to end the prolonged road communication crisis of this region."
According to the knowledgeable circles concerned, a bridge is undoubtedly a vital need to facilitate plying of heavy transports on 17 routes in south Chittagong and setting up of industries on the other bank of the Karnaphuli. But before going for such a costly project, economic viability and time required for such construction should be considered.
As such, an alternative way should be found out to tackle the present crisis and facilitate necessary time-to-time renovation of the existing bridges as well. However, they said renovation of the Kalurghat bridge was also not possible at this moment for lack of any alternative.
They suggested making the Shah Amanat bridge operational again after necessary repair taking help and advice of local experts.
To lessen the troubles, Chittagong City Corporation introduced a ferry service on the river Karnaphuli at Firingee Bazar near Shah Amanat Bridge in February last year at a cost of Tk. 3.80 crore.
But the ferry service could be offered only two times a day during the high tides. To ferry 30 vehicles, it takes five trips thus contributing very little to ease the suffering