About 10 lakh inhabitants of six upazilas in Patuakhali district are suffering as half of the 150 km roads connecting the areas is in a deplorable condition. Large potholes on those roads cause nuisance for passengers as buses, loaded trucks and others vehicles often get stuck there while the situation worsens in the monsoon season with rainwater gathering in the holes. Patients become the worst sufferers on the dilapidated roads. Some 12 km of 17km-long Galachipa-Sakharia, a section of Patuakhali-Galachipa road, 5 km of 10km-long Galachipa-Amragachia road, 2 km of 15km-long Patuakhali-Dumki road, 20 km of 39km-long Patuakhali-Baufal road and 12 km of 47km-long Patuakhali-Dashmina road and 3 km of 22km-long Kalapara-Kuakata road are badly damaged, Roads & Highways Department (RHD) sources said. Vehicular movement on Patuakhali-Baufal road remained stooped for eight hours from 10:00pm to 6:00am on Thursday night as a truck loaded with jackfruit got stuck in a hole at Rajakhali on Dumki-Baufal road. "We are facing loss in the hilsa season as trucks cannot move smoothly on the roads. Hilsa fish rots when the loaded trucks get stuck on the roads for several hours,' said Niami Chandra, secretary of Mohipur Trawler Owners Association. RHD repaired those roads in 2005 when the then prime minister Khaleda Zia visited Kalapara, Galachipa, Baufal upazilas and Patuakhali district headquarters. "We are starting work under PMP [Periodic Maintenance Programme] to keep the roads fit for use in the rainy season,' an RHD official said. "We have sent several letters to the higher authorities concerned for allocation of money on an emergency basis for repair of the damaged roads,' said Abdus Salam, executive engineer of local RHD.