Time elapses sans tangible progress

A great deal of time has elapsed without work on a project to develop a dedicated bus corridor from Gazipur to Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.
Sources said the two main Chinese contractors of the troubled project, known as Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), have already sought an extension of time.
The firms have spent 87 per cent and 60 per cent of their contract period, but progress in the Tk 42.67-billion project is recorded 19 per cent until mid-June.
"Another two years are not even enough to complete the task compared to the extent of the pending work," commented an official.
The project offices are yet to agree on extension, according to the sources.
The project is now in a new dilemma as the Gazipur city mayor has demanded a change in the drainage system.
BRT south corridor development is being done under 'Greater Dhaka Sustainable Urban Transport (GDSUT)' scheme with involvement of three government agencies.
The Asian Development Bank, Agence Francaise de Development and Global Environment Facility are financing the work.
The Roads and Highways Department (RHD) is implementing the 16-kilometre surface work along with six flyovers.
The Bangladesh Bridge Authority (BBA) is to carry the construction work of 4-kilometre elevated part of the corridor.
The Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) is responsible for depot structures under one package and local road and market development under another package.
Of the four-package work, LGED has already completed depot work and made 75 per cent progress in local road connection and market development.
Nineteen per cent progress in the GDSUT project was recorded with the progress of LGED's parts.
RHD inked a deal with China Gezhouba Group Co (CGGC) in October 2016 to do its part in 30 months which is to be end by next October.
An official record shows only 25 per cent physical work of RHD's part.
Jiangsu Provincial Transportation Engineering Group, responsible for the elevated section of BBA, could make 12 per cent progress after one-and-a-half years' time.
Its contract period ends in June 2020.
A recent spot visit to the corridor found irregular work being done at some points with a very few visible structures like piers near the airport.
No such development was also visible in constructing an eight-lane Tongi bridge.
Stagnant water, including industrial chemical, is causing severe damage to existing road for not having a sound drainage system.
Both Gazipur mayor and liberation war affairs minister wrote to road transport and bridges minister for an integrated drainage system to discharge sewage and industrial waste into the road drainage.
But, sources said, consultants did not agree with the demand for an integrated drainage system.
"It's not possible in a development partner-funded project due to a severe environmental cause," said one of them.
A steering committee, formed to ensure coordination between agencies, sat to discuss the issue this month but it is yet to reach an agreement.
The drainage system is planned to channel storm water into the nearby river and cannels to save the important corridor from stagnant water.
"This is actually a project fraught with challenges since its beginning due to unplanned growth of the area, mainly the development of innumerable industries," said an RHD project official.
Seeking anonymity, he said the project is yet to overcome challenges to manage traffic and do utility shifting for non-cooperation from stakeholders.
More than 400 industries, mostly ready-made garment units, have sprung up along the corridor occupying roads and cannels.
Many influential industry owners could not allow power disruptions because of shifting electric poles.
It is also alleged that the Chinese contractors have been dawdling to start work on excuses like incomplete utility shifting.
RHD project office claimed completion of 80 per cent of utility shifting work but said the remaining 20 per cent is the most critical part of the work.
"We couldn't find any proper design from any agency. There were inconsistencies in available designs. So, we suffer in every digging," said another official.
Supervision consultant office also raised an allegation of non-cooperation from traffic police in abiding by traffic management plan.
Being the exit-entry points of the city and having a bypass in between, 60,000 vehicles use the Gazipur-Airport corridor per hours.
It was 35,000 at the design stage in 2013-14.
RHD and BBA project directors (PDs), however, claimed they have overcome most of the challenging parts and expect speedy progress in the coming months.
About no visible development in the corridor project, they said most of the work has been done underground.
"The contractors have already completed vertical structures, particularly in Joydevpur crossing and underground work at the left side of Tongi Bridge," said RHD PD Sanaul Haque.
"Horizontal work is carried out at the construction yard," he continued.
However, the GDSUT project has been facing problems for which cost was doubled before construction began.
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