For nearly 12 years, around 20,000 residents of 30 villages in Mohalchhari upazila of Khagrachhari district have been risking their lives by crossing a dangerously dilapidated culvert, due to the prolonged inaction of the authorities concerned.

The culvert, a vital lifeline connecting the villages to the upazila headquarters, is crucial for daily travel, and locals are now urging the government to reconstruct it urgently ahead of the approaching monsoon season.

The retaining walls on either side of the culvert were damaged during last year’s monsoon and floods, and soil erosion around the pillars has worsened the situation.

Students, government employees, farmers, and other residents continue to rely on the culvert to avoid a much longer route—putting their safety at stake.

People from neighbouring areas, including Naniarchar upazila in Rangamati district, also depend on this route for travel and transportation.

In a desperate attempt to maintain connectivity, locals have tried to repair the culvert using bamboo and wood, but these makeshift solutions have proven to be inadequate, offering no permanent relief.

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There are growing concerns that if water levels in the Kaptai Dam rise during the upcoming rainy season, the lone alternative route may become impassable, effectively isolating the villages.

According to the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED), the culvert was originally built nearly four decades ago.

Tripti Shankar Chakma, Executive Engineer of LGED Khagrachhari, said they have recently received approval for the culvert’s reconstruction and that a tender will be floated soon.

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He expressed optimism that construction will begin before the monsoon, adding that all efforts will be made to maintain road connectivity and alleviate the daily hardships of the affected residents.