Infrastructure project works grind to a halt
The coronavirus pandemic has thrown a spanner in the works of most major infrastructure projects, a turn of events that's poised to delay implementation and scale up cost, according to project officials and experts.
The government happens to be implementing more than $30 billion worth of infrastructure projects including the Padma bridge, Rooppur nuclear power plant, Matarbari power plant, Karnaphuli river tunnel and Dhaka metro rail.
"Progress is slowing every day because of the pandemic and I am uncertain exactly what will happen if the outbreak prolongs," said Md Shafiqul Islam, project director of Padma bridge, the country's most significant infrastructure project.
The construction work is about 86 per cent complete, he said, adding that more than 3.9 kilometres of the 6.15km bridge is noticeable now after 26 of the 41 spans were installed.
Based on the revised deadline, the country's longest bridge will available to traffic in June next year.
"Project implementation has taken a back seat as our priority is to ensure the safety of the employees and workers," Islam said, adding that they would be able to assess the impact after the pandemic is over.
Coronavirus is a worldwide issue and Bangladesh's infrastructure projects cannot remain unscathed, said MAN Siddique, managing director of Dhaka Mass Transit Company, a government-owned entity that is implementing the metro rail project.
"Our outdoor work is on hold as per the government's instruction."
About 1,000 foreign nationals, from mid-level to experts, are participating with the project.
At present, a lot more than nine kilometres of the 20.10km long viaduct are visible, Siddique added.
Construction work of the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT Line)-6, which started in 2016, has made 38.35 per cent progress by November last year and was likely to available to public on December 16 next year. The deadline could be pushed back now.
The coronavirus pandemic is a brand new blow to the infrastructure projects that customarily need to navigate through several barriers, said Khondaker Golam Moazzem, research director of the Centre for Policy Dialogue.
"It's an unavoidable situation, but there should be the scope to restructure plans for rapid implementation of the projects."
Neither foreign nor local employees can easily work under the prevailing situation, which will surely slow down the progress of the projects and over time affect the economy, he added.
"Project officials should continue working from home to offset the impact," Moazzem said.
The impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the infrastructure projects is inevitable as people's safety should be the first priority, said Ahsan H Mansur, executive director of the Policy Research Institute.
The slow progress in the infrastructure projects as a result of pandemic will leave a poor impact on monetary growth, he said, adding that losses could possibly be minimised if the implementing entities and contractors can reach a consensus for putting in extra effort.
"But everything will rely upon the charisma of the government and the project directors."
