M M Jasim :
The government is planning to build a ‘common utility tunnel’ service in capital city with a view to reducing the dwellers sufferings during roads digging by various agencies in the name of beautification and reforming the water and gas lines.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has already directed the Dhaka City Corporations to prepare a map and appropriate plan to set up the common utility tunnel as early as possible, official sources said.
The common utility tunnel, according to experts, will reduce the people’s sufferings when some government and private companies dig roads and drains here and there in the city. The utilities to be housed inside the CUT are electrical power cables, water pipe, chilled water pipes, gas pipe, multimedia cables and telecommunication cables. This is the first time that an effort has been made in Dhaka to get all the utility providers to agree to have the various utilities in a common tunnel and also on cost-sharing of the capital and maintenance expenditure.”
Dhaka South City Corporation’s Chief Executive Officer Ansar Ali Khan told The New Nation yesterday that it would be helpful for the corporation if it could be introduced. But he did not say when the task to build ‘common utility tunnel’ would start. “It is needed, but I don’t know when it starts,” he said. Sculptors hailed the initiative to build common utility tunnel in the city, which is the first time in Bangladesh.
They said that it would be praiseworthy job and if it was implemented, the city would be a model in the south-Asia if the government takes some initiatives using technology like common utility tunnel, they hoped.
Sculptor Mobassher Hossain said, “I congratulate the government for taking a good plan. Many cities in the world have ‘common utility tunnel’ to make their people’s movement easy. Bangladesh also can use the technological facility. It is also very easy to build such system anywhere,” he said.
Architect Ikbal Habib told The New Nation that the urban planners proposed the government to take initiative to build common utility tunnel. It is good that the government responded the urban planners proposal.
“The condition of Dhaka city is worse. It is also unlivable now. People’s sufferings mount when the digging starts in different parts of the city. Common utility tunnel can help reducing the sufferings and make a planned city,” he said.
Meanwhile, officials of the both Dhaka City Corporations said that there is no visual progress to build the common utility tunnel.
Mohammed Abul Kashem, Executive Engineer (Planning and Design Division) of Dhaka North City Corporation told The New Nation that the North City Corporation conducted a survey to build common utility tunnel. The plan will be finalised after analysing the survey.
