A jumble of existing unplanned utility infrastructures along the metro-rail route in the city poses big challenge to the authorities to kick-start its construction work, officials said.
They said more than a dozen government and private agencies have been involved in providing the utility services in the city but they have no clear idea about existing pipelines, cables etc. along the 20-kilometre route.
Sources said the Dhaka Mass Rapid Transit Development Project (DMRTD Project) authorities want to chalk out a plan of shifting or relocating different utilities like gas, electricity, telephone or cable lines lying along the corridor before the start of construction.
"MRT itself is a challenging project. But the utilities have put an added challenge," said one official, preferring not to be named.
He observed that due to unplanned infrastructure development by these agencies, the project office could not get concrete picture of which line lies where and how those are passing through the corridor.
The shifting or relocation of utilities is a major cause for the delay in many development works in the city as hardly any utility-service providers maintain data system through computer-generated design.
Sources said due to the unplanned utility installation, Maghbazar flyover has also been facing daily hassle of unwanted lines while piling and boring of pipes.
The DMRTD Project has already held numerous meetings with these agencies but is yet to find a way out.
Sources said it raised the issue during an annual development programme meeting recently and sought cooperation from the ministry concerned in resolving the shifting or relocating of utilities with necessary and timely cooperation from all related agencies.
"We have found many agencies even do not have clear picture of their own underground lines. Only field-level workers at specific spot or location can say something," said another official.
The Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges (MoRTB) has, meanwhile, proposed a committee with 12 representatives from line ministries which would help coordinate and resolve utility-relocation related problems.
The DMRTD Project representative has been proposed to be member- secretary of the committee and MoRTB deputy secretary (development) convener.
Other representatives will be from Dhaka City Corporation North and South, Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority, Dhaka Electric Supply Authority, Bangladesh Telecommunications Company Limited, Titas Gas Company, Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakhya, Ministry of Science and Information Communication Technology and Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority.
Ministry officials said after getting nomination from all concerned agencies, the committee will start inspection of the utilities - gas, electricity, water, sewerage, telephone, optical-fibre network etc. -- along the corridor and submit a report to the Road Transport Division within three months with recommendation for 'dos' in this regard.
Though the ministry constituted the committee with 11 agencies, the project officials said they will have to deal with the Cantonment Board and some private operators to chalk out a map of shifting.
Project Director Mofazzel Hossain said they are hopeful about finding an amicable solution to the shifting or relocating utilities as all concerned agencies are very much cooperative in the MRT project.
"We are expecting to get a plan within a year," he told the FE, confirming that the construction work would start as per the schedule.
The PD said in the MRT line-6, no shifting or relocation would be needed from Uttara 3rd phase to Pallabi as there is no utility lines installed. And the first tender to develop depot will also not face such problem.
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