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The first metro rail construction work has slowed as the fallout of COVID-19, making it uncertain for the authorities to launch by December 2021, insiders say.
The Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL) has failed to complete even half of the Tk 219.85 billion project, although the government has announced its opening during the golden jubilee of the country.
According to the DMTCL, only 49.15 per cent of its total physical works had been completed until August.
The Japanese consultants, experts and contractors have been absent for the last five to six months due to the coronavirus pandemic, dealing a blow to reaching the target of introducing the 20.1km metro rail from Uttara to Mothijheel by next year, the project insiders said.
A senior DMTCL official told the FE that they were trying to convince Japanese experts and consultants about returning to Bangladesh to restart their work for the fast-track project.
Since the Japanese companies have got most of the eight packages of the MRT line-6 project, their absence has hampered the development work a lot, said the official.
Meanwhile, the fast-track monitoring task force of the Prime Minister's Office, in its last meeting in June, asked the DMTCL to complete the work in time with the highest efforts as the government wants to launch it in the stipulated time.
DMTCL officials said although they had completed some three-fourth of the construction work between Uttara and Agargaon portion, the rest of the work will take some more time due to the virus effects.
According to the company, some 75.50 per cent of the total physical work between Uttara and Agargaon portion (11.73km) was completed until last month.
The rest of the work in the Uttara-Agargaon portion is likely to be completed within next year, they said.
The contractors had completed only 42 per cent of the physical works till August between Agargaon to Motijheel, the DMTCL said.
Besides, some 65 per cent work on electrical and mechanical system, procurement of rolling stocks (rail coaches) and depot equipment remain to be done.
In addition, the DMTCL has just started work on extending the metro rail up to Kamalapur Railway Station in the capital city, which will take some more time to complete the entire route, the company officials said.
The DMTCL claimed that it has completed 47 per cent of the physical works from Agargaon to Kawran Bazar under the package-5.
Besides, it has completed 48 per cent of the physical works under package-6 between Kawran Bazar to Motijheel portion.
Under the package-7, the contractor has completed 44 per cent of the electrical and mechanical works until August.
According to DMTCL, it has completed the land development work in the depot areas in 2018 under the package-1.
Under the package-2, some 72 per cent of the infrastructure constriction work at the depot areas had been completed until last month.
Under package-8, the Japanese contractor has already produced a set of metro train (rolling stock) out of total six sets. The first set will land in Bangladesh soon after normalisation of life in the post-COVID era, the DMTCL official said.
An Implementation Monitoring and Evaluation Division (IMED) official said they had doubt over the completion of the MRT-6 line by next year as half of the physical works of the project still remain to be completed.
The IMED official said the DMTCL had also failed to spend the entire fund allocation for the project work during FY2020 due to the impact of the coronavirus.
Between June 2019 and May 2020, it spent Tk 23.25 billion, 54 per cent of its total Tk 43.27 billion allocation under the revised Annual Development Programme (RADP).
Managing Director of the DMTCL MAN Siddique was not available for comments.
In the current ADP, the government has allocated Tk 43.69 billion to continue the project work of the MRT line 6.
In 2012, the government had taken up the MRT line -6 project with the financial support from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
Once implemented, MRT-6 will run from Uttara to Motijheel - serving 16 stations along the way. Trains for the metro rail will have the capacity to transport 60,000 passengers on the route.