Around 30,000 residents of Jashore's Sharsha and Jhikargachha upazilas have long been suffering with their commute due to the lack of a concrete bridge on the Belta canal in Dihi union under Sharsha.

As the government has yet to respond to the longstanding demand of the locals to this end, they resorted to constructing a makeshift bamboo bridge on the canal connecting Sabaratala-Belta road several years ago with their own initiative to ease their sufferings.

However, the persistent rains during this monsoon caused the canal to swell, which in turn damaged the bamboo bridge significantly, leaving it risky and vulnerable for use.

As such, the route involving the canal to communicate between the two upazilas has become largely impassable, thereby compelling the residents to either use an alternative route -- which requires them to travel an extra five-kilometre distance -- or use banana-stem rafts to cross the canal amid risk.

Amid the situation, residents, especially elderly people, women, and children, of 15 villages under the two upazilas, including Belta, Gokarna, Durgapur, Chandrapur, Khalisakhali, Pakshia, Kashipur, Panditpur, Sabaratala, and Boundary, have been suffering.

Farmers in the area have been facing a lot of difficulty in transporting their agricultural produce from the field to local markets.

"We now have to walk two to three miles to carry our harvest from crop fields to home or market," said Ahmad Ali, a farmer of Belta village.

"There is a 300-foot paved road on both sides of the canal. A bridge would have made commuting very convenient for the residents of these 15 villages," said Dr Noor Islam, a local social activist.

Abul Hasan, a college student, said, "When the bamboo bridge was usable, it took only 25 minutes from my home to college. Now it takes at least 45 minutes since I now have to walk five kilometres more on the alternative route."

Dihi Union Parishad Chairman Asaduzzaman Mukul said the upazila engineer had previously said a bridge would be constructed on the canal soon, but no step has yet been taken in this regard.

Contacted, Sanaul Haque, upazila engineer of Sharsha, said a proposal made in 2020 for the construction of a 100-metre bridge on the Belta canal is now awaiting the tender process.

"Hopefully the project will be implemented soon," he added.