FARIDPUR, Mar 03: The dream of about 12,000 people of six unions, including the Togarbandh union under Alfadanga upazila in the district, is about to be fulfilled as a 9,000-foot-long floating bridge is being constructed at the villages at a cost of Tk 0.6 million.
Sources said the bridge is being constructed on the Modhumoti river. The bridge is almost complete.
Some locals said around 12,000 people from Tata, Tita Panail, Panail, Shikarpur, Ikrail and Kumurtia villages of the upazila used to cross the water body by boat. But it was a great suffering to the people to cross it with various crops and other goods.
Children and students also experienced difficulties. It was a waste of money and time. Therefore, the residents had long demanded to build a bridge here.
Finally the people of Tita, Tita Panail, Panail, Shikarpur, Ikrail and Kumurtia villages decided to build a floating bridge with the initiative of the chairman of the Togarband union. About 52 people from the area came forward to provide financial assistance. Besides, the construction of floating bridges is now almost done with the help of numerous people. The bridge will be inaugurated soon.
Locals said there is only one small boat for crossing. Thousands of people travel to different places including upazila sadar daily. It was a waste their money and time. "We will not have to wait and time will not be wasted as this floating bridge is being constructed", they added.
Chairman of the Togarband union Imam Hasan Shipon said there are a college, two high schools, four primary schools, community clinics and post offices in the area. People need to come here for different needs. "We have decided to construct a floating bridge at the Tita Khayaghat area as despite many written appeals, no bridge had been constructed in that area."
He said construction of the bridge would cost about Tk 0.6 milion. The bridge will be 9000 feet in length and 12 feet wide. Around 852 plastic drums, each with a capacity of 250 litres of water and is being constructed with 60 steel sheets. It is building a trust engineering workshop in Jessore. Small motorised vehicles will be able to use the bridge.
Villagers said the bridge was designed by Mukul Khan. He works in a private organisation in the capital. One of the features of this bridge is that it is placed 12 feet wide and six feet high in the middle of the bridge. There is no difficulty in moving the boat through the bottom of the bridge. People who are happy to build a floating bridge in that area will not waste time on their boat.
