RAJSHAHI, Dec 31: Severe traffic congestion on the Rajshahi-Tanore Highway at Kaliganj and Talanda under Tanore upazila of the district is now a regular phenomenon during the two weekly haats beside the highway.
It is learnt, Kaliganj Haat is the largest market of the upazila where thousands of tonnes of paddy are brought and sold on the haat days.
Due to occupation of haat land by illegal land grabbers and influential persons of the area, most of the land of haat has turned to residential houses and shops where the small and marginal traders who used to deal on paddy on weekly haat days have no room or chance to sit with and sell their goods.
As a result, they hoard their paddy beside the busy Rajshahi-Tanore Highway and continue selling those there from early morning to evening. Due to organising of the haat beside the highway, traffic congestion and often accidents have become a common scene in the area.
Sometimes, the traffic jam turned so severe that vehicle carrying goods, buses, vans and autos carrying passengers through the road have to stay at the same spot for hours.
For the same reason, many drivers are reluctant to drive through the road and some charge exorbitant fare.
Because of putting paddy sacs beside the road and carrying those disorderly from one place to another, there is a chaotic situation on the road and it becomes hard even for passersby to move through the road let alone motor vehicles and other modes of transport.
Abdullah (45), a resident of Pachondor area of Tanore upazila is a paddy trader at Kaliganj haat. While talking to this correspondent, he said, huge traffic congestion nearly a half kilometre long is created on the Tanore-Rajshahi Highway because of setting up paddy market beside the road.
He further mentioned, the hat is being organised beside the road for last one hundred years or more but during last three-decade the space of the hat has been occupied by illegal land grabbers and influentials that is why seasonal paddy traders have no way but to put their paddy sacs road side creating severe traffic jam on both sides of the road.
Due to placing of paddyful of sacs on road side, both traders and buyers face trouble. They find it difficult to move with the sacs through the road during rain as there is no shed.
Abdul Kuddus (50), a teacher of Premtali Degree College, said he finds it difficult to travel through the road because of huge traffic congestion.
Traders pile goods here and there, he added.
Babul (42), a driver who runs his vehicle through the Rajshahi-Tanore Highway regularly, said it was beyond expression about the sufferings of the drivers and passengers during the haat days.
The space fixed for both the Kaliganj and Taland haats is squeezed for land grabbers.
Hence, paddy traders have no other way but to sit with their goods beside the highway.
He said the government should take immediate measures to evict the illegal land grabbers of the haats and free the road for smooth vehicular movement.
Golam Rabbi, Upazila Nirbahi Officer of Tanore, said the government would soon start an eviction drive against the illegal land grabbers of Kaliganj haat.
He further said soon the illegal occupiers of haat land will be identified and they will be evicted without serving further notice.
