The ongoing political impasse is likely to cause the work on the Dhaka-Chittagong four-lane project decelerate once again. The authorities concerned apprehend further delay in completing field-level work of the project, aimed at expanding the country's economic lifeline.
The current peak season for construction, which started in November, is crucial for carrying out necessary work of the project. The Roads and Highways Department (RHD) has fixed the latest target of finishing widening work of the 193-kilometre highway by this December.
The project has already been delayed twice, and RHD set the new completion deadline for 80 per cent of works within the current fiscal year (2014-15).
The officials said the project progress had not been satisfactory till this past December, as its contractor Sinohydro Corporation, a Chinese company, took extra time to start work during the peak season due to financial constraint.
"We have been managing the project works somehow, but not in the speedy way it was supposed to be during the peak construction months," said an official, preferring not to be named.
He said though the government has been trying to support the contractors with the help of the law-enforcing agencies, some incidents have made them worried about continuing the project's field-level work.
According to the latest record, physical progress of the four-lane project in January was recorded 59.37 per cent, which was 57.05 per cent in December. It means only two per cent progress was made throughout January. Some 110-kilometre pavement has been readied till January.
However, when the dry season began, progress of the country's most important economic corridor was recorded 52.33 per cent.
RHD missed its target of completing the project last year, as the expansion work was almost stalled in 2014. Sinohydro, responsible for seventy per cent of the project works, refrained from working in its seven package areas on grounds of financial loss due to the political turmoil at the end of 2013.
He Feng of Sinohydro said they started field-level work two months ago. But, they cannot continue the work in January and February due to "threats from political quarters," given to the workers at construction site.
He said some pieces of valuable construction equipment of the company had already been destroyed by political activists.
"We have already missed a golden month of the dry construction season. We could not bring construction materials, our equipment has been destroyed, and labourers could not reach the site," he added.
Project Director Ibne Alam Hasan said the project office has been providing all kinds of support to ensure timely construction of the four-lane highway.
Asked about its further delay, he said if the situation gets normal shortly, the lapse could be overcome.
   smunima@yahoo.com
Political standoff puts Dk-Ctg 4-lane project on low gear
Munima Sultana | Published: February 10, 2015 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2024 06:01:00
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