Delays in flyover project spell woes for Rajshahi people

Redesigned midway and faced with delay in getting approval amid the pandemic, the project to construct the first flyover in Rajshahi and a five-kilometre connecting road has been extended twice, causing severe problems for vehicles as well as for the people living in the area.

Accidents frequently occur on the under-construction road and dust emanating from the project site poses a serious threat to people's health. 

The local people fear that the project scheduled to end in June this year will be extended further, prolonging their suffering.

According to the Rajshahi Development Authority (RDA) sources, construction of the 4.8 km road, including an 805-metre flyover across rail lines, started in January 2018 and was supposed to be completed in 2020 under the "Road Construction Project from Natore Road (Ruet) to Rajshahi Bypass Road."

But In 2020, Bangladesh Railway demanded to increase the flyover's height from seven metres to nine metres, so the authority had to redesign it. The new design needed the Ministry of Housing and Public Works' approval and more land acquisition.

RDA Executive Engineer (Project Director) Abdullah Al Tarique said the project implementation period was extended till June 2021 due to Covid-19 and changes in the design caused the further extension to June 2022.

"Everywhere in Bangladesh, bridges or flyovers are built seven metres above a rail line, but after our work started, the railway authorities said we have to build the flyover nine metres above the line. That is why the whole design changed," said Abdullah Al Tarique.

"Getting approval from the ministry for the new design took too much time as the ministry officials could not visit the area amid the pandemic," he continued.

He said the changes in design have been approved by the ministry recently and will be discussed in the government's purchase committee meeting very soon.

The RDA executive engineer also said the project would be completed by June this year as 82% of the entire work has already been completed. The project implementer has received Tk152 crore for the project in the first phase and Tk32 crore in the second phase from the government fund.

The project cost was initially estimated at Tk159 crore, but later it was revised to Tk206.63 crore. 

Complications over land acquisition

After the flyover was redesigned, more land was needed for building a bigger slope for it, but the process of acquiring this additional land has not yet been completed.

In the Kazla area, bushes have not been cleared along the boundary wall of the Rajshahi University of Engineering and Technology (Ruet). There are also houses In the Meherchandi area, through which the road will pass. Besides, no land was acquired in the Dayratek area for the project.

The Ruet administration was initially reluctant to give up land for the project, but after several meetings with the project authority – mediated by the Rajshahi City Corporation – the university agreed to give up a stretch of land.

Ruet Vice-Chancellor Prof Rafiqul Islam Sheikh said they have decided to remove the boundary wall from Kazla to the guest house for the project. 

Additional Deputy Commissioner (Revenue) of Rajshahi District Administration Muhammad Shariful Haque said only the paperwork has been done to acquire more land. The landowners will be formally given compensation in April. Then the process of land acquisition will start. However, the letter regarding acquiring land from the Ruet has not yet come from RDA and this can take months.

Officials of Abdul Monem Limited, the construction company in charge of the project, said their work has come to a halt since July last year, but they have continued paying the security guards in the project area. 

Selim Reza, project manager at Abdul Monem Limited, said, "We are paying many officers and employees without any progress in the work. So far, RDA owes us Tk11 crore."

Visiting the area, our correspondent found that only 1 km out of the 4.8 km road under the project has been paved so far, while the rest remains an earthen road covered with brick chips in some places.

The completed part of the flyover is getting ruined due to the delay, while many construction materials on the site are decaying.  A thick cloud of dust covers the project area, often causing accidents.

Ibrahim Ali, a resident of Dayratek area in Rajshahi city, said, "The road has been in a dilapidated condition since 2018. It is inside the city corporation area but there is no one to look over it. There is so much dust that we cannot open the doors and windows of the house. We have been frequently suffering from diseases caused by dust."

Mokhlesur Rahman, a resident of Kharkhari Bypass area, said, "We can no longer accept this misery. Accidents often occur here. This problem has been going on for over four years and we found no solution even after meeting with the councillor and city mayor."

Ahmed Shafiuddin, president of Shushashoner Jonno Nagorik in Rajshahi, said, "This is an ill-conceived project, taken up for embezzling money. The government should finish it promptly to reduce people's sufferings."

Md Monirul Islam Firozi, chief engineer (Western Zone) at Bangladesh Railway, could not be reached over the phone for comments regarding the matter.