Concerns grow over supply of raw materials
MUNIMA SULTANA | Published: April 16, 2020 Financial Express
Picture used for representation — Collected
While foreign contractors involved in development projects left the country after the outbreak of coronavirus, their Chinese counterparts are continuing their work.
Though at a slow pace, project people said around 1,000 Chinese nationals have been working for the Padma bridge, Karnaphuli tunnel and mass rapid transit line-6 projects.
All the Chinese have continued work with available materials staying at the project sites.
Since the sites of the projects are restricted and isolated in nature, insiders said the Chinese have joined work upon their return from home.
Padma bridge project director Shafiqul Islam said around 800 Chinese are now working at the bridge construction site, for which two more spans could be installed amid lockdown.
He said the number of Chinese staffers has increased, especially when the stranded ones have joined since December.
The project head said they were allowed to work at the construction sites when their quarantine period was over.
Secretary of the Bridges Division Belayet Hossain said Karnaphuli tunnel project work is going on since around 280 Chinese have been working for placing the rings for tubes.
“Each day four rings are set up,” he told the FE over phone confirming that rings for 1.2 kilometres out of 4.0 kms have been set up.
MRT line 6 project officials said the Chinese who have been engaged in infrastructure development at the Uttara depot site are also erecting steel workshop.
“Though on a limited scale, the Chinese contractor continues the work of the MRT line 6,” said an official.
Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited is now implementing four MRT projects with financial and technical support from Japan. MRT line 6 is now at the construction level together with Japanese, Chinese and Indian contractors.
Of them, many engineers and consultants of the Japanese companies have left for Japan due to the lockdown.
Officials said the Thai contractors awarded for the elevated part of MRT line from Uttara to Agargaon are in Dhaka but they could not do much work as their work is in open space. The MRT line-6 is being constructed in the middle of the road in an elevated way.
Officials of the projects said the Chinese people would not be able to continue the work if supply of materials is disrupted.
“So far, we have managed to carry out the project work with available materials,” said an official.
Padma bridge project has been able to place two more spans during the lockdown, which has 4.2 kms out of 6.15 kms visible. The Bridges Division secretary said more span accessories have reached the Chittagong Port, but those could not be unloaded due to lack of manpower.
He said Karnaphuli tunnel’s rings, which are being constructed in China, have also reached the port.
“We are trying to conduct the formalities online,” he said.
The project director said they are worried about the supply of cement from local companies. Cement is now a key raw material required for the visible span.
He apprehended that if the lockdown prolongs, the Chinese would not be able to carry on the work due to the crisis of materials.
