A canal was excavated at Noyani village of Koyra upazila after cyclonic storm Aila damaged an earthen road. Twelve years later, a 311-foot floating bridge was built over the canal. The bridge, made of drums, iron angles, and tin sheets, was damaged within just six months, causing immense suffering for locals.
After the devastating cyclone in 2009, the Noyani village saw a massive change. Where there was once dry land, there is now a canal. For years, villagers had to wade through mud or swim to nearby ponds to fetch water — sometimes dropping their pots or slipping into the water.
In the 2021–22 fiscal year, the upazila administration built a floating bridge under the “Local Government Initiative on Climate Change (LoGIC)” project. The 311-foot-long bridge cost Tk18.49 lakh and was made by placing iron angles and tin sheets on top of plastic drums. When the work was completed in June 2023, people from nearby villages felt relieved. But that relief did not last even six months.
The salty air caused the iron to rust, the tin sheets came off, and the handrails broke. Now, only the plastic drums float on the water, with broken iron pieces hanging over them. The bridge shakes dangerously when people try to cross, making it risky.
Reshma Begum, a resident of Noyani village, said: “Our only water source is the Sada Padma pond, two kilometres away. After Aila caused damage to the embankment, the road disappeared. We had to swim across the canal or walk around the shrimp farms to get water. The drum bridge gave us hope, but it didn’t last six months. Now the suffering continues.”
Kakoli Begum from Mollabari village said: “After Aila, the road to the pond turned into a canal. We used to swim with water pots. The bridge made things easier for a while, but it broke too soon. Now people are falling and getting hurt while crossing.”
Abu Musa Shikari from Maheshwaripur village said: “We asked for a road, but they built a bridge instead. The tin was so poor in quality that it came off in six months. With Tk18 lakh, a solid road could have been made. Now the money is wasted.”
Anjana Roy of Noyani village added, “Most people here are from the Hindu community. We need lotus flowers for puja, and we take care of them. But the broken bridge makes it hard to cross. Many have fallen and been injured.”
Maheshwaripur Union Parishad Chairman Shahnewaz Shikari said they planned to repair the damaged bridge with wood to ease people’s suffering. “But when we inspected it, we found that temporary repair was not possible. It now needs a bigger budget. Once we get funds under the Union Parishad support scheme, we’ll submit a project to rebuild it,” he said.
