Three key development projects have been put under intensive monitoring of the Economic Relations Division (ERD) because of their slow pace of execution, officials said.
The three projects are Phase- 1 of Karnaphuli Water Supply Project, Khulna Water Supply Project, and Chittagong City Outer Ring Road Project.
"Performance of the three important projects will be closely monitored for their timely implementation," ERD's senior secretary Mohammad Mejbahuddin told the FE.
He said the agencies concerned have been asked to accelerate works relating to implementation of the projects.
The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) JICA is funding the Phase-1 of Karnaphuli Water Supply Project. The project is aimed at producing 143 million litres of water per day by setting up a water treatment plant, constructing 24.0 kilometre transmission line between the plant and the reservoir at Nasirabad, 6.0 km transmission pipeline from Nasirabad to Battali Hill, 44 km distribution pipeline, reservoir at Nasirabad and Battali and improvement of Khulshi booster pump station.
The project got approval of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) in 2006 but failed to make any visible progress until the beginning of 2009.
Land acquisition for the project was completed by the end of the 2009 and construction had started in 2010. The project was scheduled to be completed by August 2014.
Managing Director of Chittagong WASA, AKM Fazlullah, told the FE that the project could not be completed timely due to various hurdles.
He said the WASA has now set target of completion of the project by June this year but the ongoing political turmoil may cause further delay.
The Khulna Water Supply Project got approval from the Local Government Division in February 2010. It aims at expansion of reliable access to potable water and to adapt to climate change by expanding the capacity of water supply system.
The Asian Development Bank (ADB), JICA and the government of Bangladesh are funding the $364 million project which got ECNEC approval in June 2011. The project is scheduled to be completed in June 2017.
To supply more to city dwellers, water would be brought to Khulna city from the river Madhumati.
Under the project, construction of a water treatment plant with a capacity of 110 million litres per day, 11 water reservoirs and 5 underground reservoirs in different places are underway.
Besides, about 750 kilometres of distribution and connecting lines of different sizes are also under installation. Metres will be installed in some 75,000 domestic water lines under the project.
Sources said construction work of the project is facing obstacles due to a row between the KWASA and the Roads and Highways Division. The two government entities are in disagreement over right way for installation of water transmission pipeline.
The land acquisition for pipeline installation remained pending for long as the Roads and Highways Division did not accept the proposal regarding the right way.
Managing Director of Khulna WASA, Md Abdullah, recently informed the ERD that the WASA is now planning to seek intervention of the Prime Minister's Office to resolve the issue that holds back the implementation of the project.
The Khulna WASA has been asked to clear the issue of land acquisition and appoint contractor for pipeline installation by March this year, sources added.
The Tk 8.56 billion Chittagong City Outer Ring Road Project got the ECNEC approval on March 29, 2011. But implementation of the project could not be started as the Chittagong Development Authority failed to begin land acquisition and re-settlement, with the fund of Tk 5.76 billion allocated by the government due to increase in land price.
The project was scheduled to be completed by December 2014 but it only started work recently. The cost of the project, in the meantime, has increased to Tk 14.96 billion.
Implementation agency of the project, the Chittagong Development Authority (CDA), has been asked recently to appoint contractor by March this year.
The divisional administration has been asked to hand over the acquired land to the project authority immediately.
The project of 15.2 kilometre long outer ring road, from outer ring road from Patenga to Sagorika Stadium road, has been taken to protect millions of people living along the coast of the Bay of Bengal and key installations including the international airport and Chittagong Export Processing Zone from natural disasters.
The ring road is expected to strengthen the coastal embankment and raise its height by 10 feet.
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