The Dhaka South City Corporation project for the beautification of Dholaikhal in Old Town, initiated in February 2023, has almost stalled.
The Tk 19.88 crore World Bank-funded project that was first scheduled to be completed in April 2024 was extended until December this year, officials said.
They said that they had already sought another extension of time and cost of the project.
The project, Greening of Dholaikhal Reservoir and Development of Aesthetic Environment, involves digging the reservoir, constructing 1,968 feet of a pedestrian path and 2,155 feet of a bicycle lane, greening on a 60,000 square feet area with 2,130 square feet area for children to play.
Two amphitheatres 鈥� one 5,890 square feet with a seating arrangement for 350 people and the other one on a 2302 square feet area with a seating arrangement for 150 people 鈥� are scheduled to be built next to this reservoir. The project also includes the construction of a 1,076 square feet ghat. 聽
In the past two years and eight months, the authorities managed to dig the reservoir, install railings on most of the parts surrounding it, and construct a part of one of the amphitheatres and the ghat.
But, the construction of the pedestrian path, the bicycle lane, greening the area and children鈥檚 playground is yet to begin in the area.
Two contracting firms engaged in implementing the project are Masud Hitech Engineering Limited and Charu Enterprises.
Project officials claimed that they could complete at least 60 per cent of the project works and said that the delay in beginning the remaining works was caused by frequent changes in the design.
鈥榃e still haven鈥檛 received the final drawings for the remaining works,鈥� one of the project officials said.聽
On November 4, the reservoir was found full with foul black water and a few workers were building a small structure.
Jagannath University student Yasin Ahmed, who resides in the Dolaikhal area, expressed his dissatisfaction with the delay in the implementation and urged the authorities to find out whether there was any negligence or corruption in the implementation process.
Street vendor Ismail Mia of the area said that they wanted the project to be completed soon to live in a greener place and to get rid of the bad stench from foul black water in the reservoir.
Kamrul Hasan, the project manager appointed by the contractors, said that聽the works were practically challenging in Old Dhaka鈥檚 cramped setting.
鈥榃e鈥檙e trying to make the park greener and more attractive, which requires redesigning. Once the final drawings are done, progress will be faster,鈥� he said.
The project director, Rajib Khadem, who is also a superintending engineer of DSCC, said that the works were disrupted due to monsoon rains.
He said that though the current deadline was December this year, they hoped that the works would be completed by June or July next year.
The project director said that they had sent a proposal to the appropriate authorities to extend the deadline and increase the budget for extra beautification works.
Bangladesh Paribesh Andolan general secretary Alamgir Kabir expressed his dissatisfaction over the delay in implementing the project and said that the issues raised by the project officials were 鈥榗ommon excuses鈥� raised by almost all contractors and officials to delay the works and increase the project cost to gain benefits.
