DHAKA: The ambitious Moghbazar-Mouchak flyover project has been facing multi-faceted problems, which led to the changing of the design 122 times so far, since the beginning.
The reason behind frequent changing is that that there is no similarity between the design and the existing underground utility services infrastructure.
For example, on March 5 when the workers of Toma Construction were digging manually for piling next for using rig they found a number of utility services infrastructures and pipes and cables of gas, sewerage, water, electricity and telecommunications.
It results nothing but halting the work progress making further delay of the project. The incident took place in front of Sunrise Public School and College of Moghbazar.
Project Director (PD) Nazmul Alam admitted that these problems forcing them to change the design repeatedly. However, he opined that the frequent change of the design did not harm the basic structure.
The change of design is full of complexities because it needs the approvals of both the consulting firm and the PD.
The problem that arose on last March 5 has forced work stoppage for ten days because the design is to be changed for piling keeping the utility services unharmed.
However, the piling spot cannot be shifted to any direction neither to North or South nor to the East because of the existing infrastructures. During this time, the consulting firm and the LGED officials sat several times but still no solution is made.
This kind of problem is just a tip of the ice berg. It has become a routine affair for driving pilings almost everywhere.
This integrated project has been divided into three packages. These are package-4, the length is 2.21 kilometers (Tejgaon-FDC-Moghbazar rail crossing via Moghbazar circle up to Ramna police station), 2.01 kilometers package-6 (from New Eskatan Road Janakantha office to Moghbazar-Mouchak), and 4.01 kilometers package-5 (from Chowdhuripara Abul Hotel to Mouchak-Malibagh up to east Rajarbagh and Kakrail in the south).
Seventy-five percent work of package-4 and 6 are completed now. Driving of the pillars is also complete meanwhile. But the sufferings of the people, roads, and business concerned have reached to a mounting stage.
The shuttering of piling near Hatirjheel is going on. A shuttering worker Sumon informed banglanews that the site 147 pilings of package-4 have been changed 122 times for practical reasons.
Survey officer of Toma construction Maniruzzaman Siddique said that the design is being changed repeatedly due to underground lines of utility services that led to the unusual delay of the work. Despite sincerity the work is being hampered.
Still there is an allegation of negligence against the contractor firm. They are supposed to dig at least six feet manually but they are doing this by rig machine causing disruption of high voltage electric line (132 KV) causing penalty of Taka one crore imposed on them.
Local Government Division secretary Abdul Maleque told banglanews that the project is facing manifold difficulties due to the existing underground utility service infrastructures so we cannot blame anybody for the delay.
He further said that though there are some obstacles in implementation still the project is within the time frame.
According to him, the Satrasta-Mouchak-Razarbag loop will be open to traffic in the current year. He further said the roads under the flyover structure will be repaired for traffic movement to ease the sufferings of the commuters and necessary fund is ready for the purpose.
But the real picture is different. Work of piling, pillar cap and setting of girders is complete while only the work of setting the span is due but the roads underneath have become a recurring trouble maker in this project area. Most of the business concerns are facing unhealthy situation for a pretty long time.
People cannot come out of their houses and business had to be closed due to dust and non-availability of the customers. Vehicles cannot move easily on the roads because of the pitiable condition of surface. It is reported that many business houses particularly the smaller ones have already closed their concerns or shifted to other places of the city.
The area is such that whenever it rains it become full of mud while in dry it becomes dusty making human lives living immense difficulties.
The thin number of business concerns who are still there are generally sit in their shops fixing mask on their faces, it was seen on last Friday.
Even the rickshaw pullers do not agree to ply this area because of the road condition which is full of ditches and dust.
The LG secretary Abdul Maleque on Friday also admitted the sufferings of the people. It is learnt that the firm Simeplex Navana joint venture’s negligence is responsible for this whole suffering episode.
The secretary informed banglanews that there are some problems from FDC crossing to Satrasta but we have instructed to get the roads repaired for vehicular movement.
In short, the traffic movement is almost halted as the construction materials are lying hither and thither, ditches have narrowed down the width of the road. Some shop keepers are splashing water on dust in front of their shops to bring the customers.
Project Manager of Toma Construction Sanjay Kumar said that within next week the road from Banglamotor to Mouchak will be cleared and it will be given bituminous carpeting.
Secretary Abdul Maleque told banglanews that for long term result people are to face some temporary sufferings. He said that the progress of the project is satisfactory and it will be complete within scheduled time frame, he added.
The LG secretary said that the most modern technology is being used in constructing this flyover. It will be resistant to face 7.5 Richter scale earthquakes. Each pillar will have Shock Transmission Unit (STU) which will check shocks in the form of wave. The shock will be relayed from the first pillar to last pillar in the form of wave.
PD Nazmul Alam said that the latest technology (Box Girder) is being used in this project and in cases pre-stressed girder are also being used for technical reasons. Digital system has been adopted to check quality of the piling. A software worth Taka one crore was brought from Singapore.
The project got the nod of Executive Committee of National Economic Council (ECNEC) in 2011. On February 16 of 2013, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina laid the foundation stone of this flyover. This is the biggest ever flyover project in the country financed by the government. Though the Mayor Hanif Flyover is bigger in length than this one but the former was under PPP. The LG secretary informed the media that there will be no toll for using this flyover.
At the first phase, the project cost was fixed at Taka 343-crore 70 lakh 74 thousand. In the second phase, the estimate was enhanced to Taka 772-crore. And finally, in the third revised estimate it rose to 1,400-crore.
The object of this flyover is to ease the traffic congestion of Satrasta, FDC, Moghbazar, Mouchak, Shantinagar and Malibagh roads and the two rail crossings of Moghbazar and Malibagh. Kuwait Fund for Economic Development (KFAED) is assisting the project.
The time frame for implementation of the project was from 2011 to December 2013. The time has extended to 2016. The project is being implemented in separate three phases. Two phases are likely to be complete within December. The premier has given this instruction.
BDST: 1600 HRS, MAR 17, 2015
