City metro rail project crosses big hurdle

Implementation of the first metro rail project in the city has finally overcome a major hurdle with the Dhaka Mass Rapid Transit Development (DMRTD) Project getting land for its depot from the Rajdhani Unnayan Kartipakhya (RAJUK).
Officials said the Rajuk officially confirmed handover of its entire 54 acres of land for the MRT line-6 project in a letter on May 29 last.
"The land was finally handed over to the project office by Rajuk today (Wednesday)," said an official over phone.
Preferring not to be named, he said with the handover of land, the DMRTD Project's one major hurdle to set up the MRT line had been over.
The metro rail had been facing the stalemate over the land for its depot since the beginning of the project. Initially, the project's Japanese consultant proposed the depot site at Pallabi.
The relevant authority, however, has to shift the site to the Uttara 3rd Phase area in the absence of clearance from the Bangladesh Army.
Despite pressure from the higher authority and the fast-track taskforce committee to hand over the Rajuk land for the DMRTD project, it resorted to dilly-dallying for reasons not known. The fast-track task force committee finally fixed the March 31 deadline for the Rajuk to hand over the land.
Officials said after getting the land, a geo technical survey on the land was launched in presence of Communications Minister Obaidul Quader Wednesday. Local member of parliament (MP) Sahara Khatun, road secretary MAN Siddique and Rajuk Chairman Joinal Abedin, among others, were present.
The country's first MRT project to be set up in the city's busiest north-south corridor from Uttara to Motijheel has already been a year behind schedule as it had to change its alignment twice and depot location had been shifted from Pallabi to Uttara.
It took time to get cooperation from the Dhaka City Corporation, Air Force and the Bangladesh Army in 2011.
The officials said the project had already made good progress with the appointment of general consultants for carrying out a detailed design.
They said a topographical survey on the 20.5-kilometre line had also begun to identify locations for 16 stations earlier proposed by the consultants which conducted the feasibility study in 2011.
The DMRTD project has been taken with the major funding from Japan government which committed to provide $ 2.1 billion out of the $ 2.9 billion MRT project.