Despite the government's topmost priority, the project authority is yet to overcome the challenges of setting up the 20-kilometre metro rail line from Uttara to Motijheel in the city.
Sources said the authority has been facing problems due to non-cooperation by different government agencies in freeing the corridor of the mass rapid transit line-6 (MRT-6) from any unwanted structures and development.
The agencies included Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK), Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) and Power Grid Company of Bangladesh (PGCB).
The MRT-6 is being planned from Uttara third phase to Motijheel which would be extended up to Kamalapur Railway Station later.
Source said although the Dhaka MRT Development (DMRTD) project authority has made these agencies aware of the development of metro rail much earlier without taking no objection certificate (NoC), many structures or development activities forced the consultant to change the design.
Project officials said the stations planned at Kazipara and Shewrapara may have to be shifted as WASA's sewerage line development work obstructed the line for carrying those on the pavement.
"This obstruction came at a time when project's design consultants are working on detailed design after confirmation of the stations," said an official preferring not to be named.
Meanwhile, RAJUK is set to create another obstruction for taking plan for constructing a flyover from Kadamtoli to Notre Dame College in the city.
The Board of the Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority (DTCA) led by Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader approved the project, although other members opposed it.
Experts said this flyover will certainly be a disaster for extending the MRT-6 up to Kamalapur Station.
Sources said the consultants continue to change the Uttara-Shapla Chattar route at different points due to development of some multi-storey buildings in between Mirpur DOHS and Mirpur-10. A project has already been undertaken to shift 132KV line between Mirpur 10 and Agargaon which was set up after the NoC.
They said project office and general consultants of MRT-6 corridor recently sat with Roads and Highways Department (RHD) to widen one kilometre road by demolishing some buildings.
Recently, an inter-ministerial meeting was held with all stakeholders to finalise locations for construction yards of the MRT project but yet to get their final word in providing land for the government's priority project.
The government has included DMRTD project as one of the fast-tract projects to assist the implementing agency overcome challenges with due priority. Due to involvement of the high-ups, the project office finally got 54 acres of land from RAJUK.
To meet the compliance of the project's development partner, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the project office also received NoC and approved the alignment from the authorities concerned three years back.
Nurul Islam, safeguard expert of the project, said private or public agencies still need to be cautious about taking any development plans or any measures which may hamper development of the MRT-6 and other projects in the pipeline.
He said as the MRT-6 is yet to be at construction stage, the focus should be given on projects or measures which would benefit maximum people.
Project Director Mofazzel Hossain, however, said efforts are on to resolve all these problems.
"We are hopeful of overcoming all the challenges of MRT-6. As this is the first project, we face more than challenges than ever. Once a MRT is done and people will get its benefit, we will not face these in implementing others," he added.
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