Paddy processing makes roads risky for vehicles

Mindless use of public roads for threshing paddy during the ongoing harvesting season is disrupting vehicular movement in different areas of the district.

"I have problems driving my vehicle un many places across Moulvibazar district as farmers process boro paddy. The drivers have to be very cautious and drive the vehicles slowly to avoid accidents," said Motin Miah, a driver from Bhuai area under Juri upazila.

Mustafzur Rahman, a driver of Kulaura upazila, said he faces problems while driving to Ashurighat area as farmers process paddy on the Kulaura-Borolekha road. "I have to lower the speed frequently due to the paddy left at different places on the road," he said.

Mohibur Rahman, 50, a farmer at Ishobpur area near Bikka Beel of Srimangal upazila, said he and many other local farmers use the road daily for processing paddy during this harvesting season. "Usually we do the work in the morning when there are not many heavy vehicles on the road," he said.

"We always use the highway for paddy processing at the time of harvest as many farmers, especially the marginal ones, have hardly any space for the purpose," said Sarif Uddin of Khagteka village in Juri upazila.

Sanjit Kumar Deb, president of Moulvibazar District Transport Workers' Union, said around 2,000 vehicles, including buses and trucks, move on different roads, especially the Moulvibazar-Borolekha and Moulvibazar-Srimangal-Kamalganj highways, in Moulvibazar district. Use of the roads for processing paddy causes serious problems for vehicular movement, he added.

Contacted, Utpal Samanta, executive engineer of Moulvibazar Roads & Highway Department, said they have told farmers to stop threshing paddy on the roads.