Khagrachhari, May 18 -- 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 culv...