Land development tender delayed again

Tender for land development work for metro rail depot has been delayed again for not getting concurrence from the project's development partner due to lack of mitigation measures.
The Dhaka Mass Rapid Transit Development (DMRTD) Project first set the target for tender in January but shifted it to March due to its failure to prepare tender document for the work.
Sources said as the project's Japanese consultant recommended further detailed study on the quality of depot land, the project office had to hire experts from the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) to conduct the geo-technical study on the land.
However, officials said latest tender schedule for the depot land development work has been changed as the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) asked the project office to take steps for safety of structures close to the depot land.
They said during the land development work, structures including old and illegal structures situated nearby may be affected due to strong vibration that might occur to make the land insured against any earthquake disaster.
"We got the BUET study report late. Now we have to be sure about safety of the nearby buildings as vibration on the land may affect structures situated within 15-metre area," said Project Director Mofazzel Hossain.
In the zone, he said, the project office identified three structures including a three-storied college.
BUET Professor Shamsul Haque said following the study, the design scenario of land development has been changed to make the land earthquake- resistant.
He, however, told the FE that the general consultants are now working on finding best possible methods for land development work.
The project office has now a plan to open the tender in mid-April.
The government has set a plan to start tender process of the metro rail ahead of schedule to start the mass transport system in the capital's Uttara-Motijheel corridor by 2019.
But it had to revise the schedule starting the tender in January after getting concurrence from the JICA, which released fund to carry out three consultancy works, not for procurement work.
As per the loan agreement signed between the Economic Relations Division (ERD) and the JICA in February 2013, the US$ 116.32 million fund could only be spent for carrying out detailed design, institutional development, resettlement and environment study.
The consultancy part of the project is set to be completed in 2016 to start the procurement stage. The DMRTD project has already called tender to short-list companies to work for rolling stock development in January. The closing date for its submission has been shifted to April 21.
Meanwhile, the project office opened tender for the electrical and mechanical system on March 17, under which two big sub-stations and seven small stations will be constructed to ensure uninterrupted power supply for metro rail operation.
According to the development project proposal (DPP), the government will bear the cost of land acquisition, utility shifting and rehabilitation part of the US$ 2.7 billion DMRTD project while the JICA's US$ 2.1 billion will be spent for consultancy and construction purposes including procurement and supervision work till 2024.
The project has planned to introduce 24 sets of trains having six coaches in each set (total 144) which will carry passengers from 16 stations on the 20 kilometre MRT line. Known as MRT line-6, these will start journey from Uttara and end at Motijheel in 36 minutes enabling over 30,000 passengers to cross the corridor per hour.
On the depot land, different structures have been planned. These include stabling yard for the 24 sets of coaches, control room, washing plant, sub-station, training centre, administrative building and rolling stock workshop.
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