A Correspondent :
The fate of the project ‘Capital Dredging and Bank Protection with Jetty Facilities in the Karnafuli River from Sadarghat Jetty to 3rd Karnafuli Bridge’ is now hanging in the balance for log time. .
Malaysia Maritime and Dredging Corporation that was appointed to the project had left the work half done one and a half years back.
Then the Ministry of Shipping had formed a four member investigation committee to probe into the matter. The committee carried out a survey with an expert team of CUET in 2013.
The expert team divulged a horrifying situation of the project that had completed the works only 25 per cent during the last two and a half years.
The investigation team found that the contractor company had disposed the dredged earth on the bank of the Karnaphuli that had again moved into the river refilling the dredged site.
Moreover, the contractor had withdrawn the allocated money at the rate of 55 per cent of the total cost. With the withdrawal of extra fund, the appointed contractor firm Malaysia Maritime and Dredging Corporation has suspended the dredging works since one and a half year back.
Then the Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) has cancelled the agreement with the Malaysian organisation.
The CPA also decided to conduct the works by their own resources. But, after the cancellation, the Malaysia Maritime and Dredging Corporation filed a case with the High Court against the decision of the CPA.
Since then the fate of the project became uncertain for indefinite time.
Talking to newsmen , Shipping Minster Shahjahan Khan MP said, “The Malaysian organisation has expressed their willingness to continue the project. But I asked them to withdraw the case and sit with us.”
So, the Minister is optimistic of solving the problem very soon.
Meanwhile, the Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) has agreed to conduct dredging of the River Karnaphuli free of cost if the Chittagong Port approves. Replying to a question, Mayor of CCC M Manjurul Alam said that siltation of the channel of the River Karnaphuli from Shah Amanat Bridge to the downstream to CPA jetties was the only cause of water-logging of the port city. So, proper dredging of the river channel would help reducing water-logging in the city, he observed.
For this reason, the CCC has agreed to conduct the dredging of the river.
The Mayor also said if the CPA management agreed to award CCC the dredging works, City Corporation is ready to conduct the works.
It may be mentioned that Malaysia Maritime and Dredging Corporation was appointed to the project on April 28 in 2011.
The works were formally inaugurated on June 5 in 2011.
As per the contract, the appointed organisation would have to complete the project within 18 months after their appointment.
So, the project was scheduled to be completed by December 2012. But strangely, the contractor had left the country suspending the works at half-done.
The fate of the project ‘Capital Dredging and Bank Protection with Jetty Facilities in the Karnafuli River from Sadarghat Jetty to 3rd Karnafuli Bridge’ is now hanging in the balance for log time. .
Malaysia Maritime and Dredging Corporation that was appointed to the project had left the work half done one and a half years back.
Then the Ministry of Shipping had formed a four member investigation committee to probe into the matter. The committee carried out a survey with an expert team of CUET in 2013.
The expert team divulged a horrifying situation of the project that had completed the works only 25 per cent during the last two and a half years.
The investigation team found that the contractor company had disposed the dredged earth on the bank of the Karnaphuli that had again moved into the river refilling the dredged site.
Moreover, the contractor had withdrawn the allocated money at the rate of 55 per cent of the total cost. With the withdrawal of extra fund, the appointed contractor firm Malaysia Maritime and Dredging Corporation has suspended the dredging works since one and a half year back.
Then the Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) has cancelled the agreement with the Malaysian organisation.
The CPA also decided to conduct the works by their own resources. But, after the cancellation, the Malaysia Maritime and Dredging Corporation filed a case with the High Court against the decision of the CPA.
Since then the fate of the project became uncertain for indefinite time.
Talking to newsmen , Shipping Minster Shahjahan Khan MP said, “The Malaysian organisation has expressed their willingness to continue the project. But I asked them to withdraw the case and sit with us.”
So, the Minister is optimistic of solving the problem very soon.
Meanwhile, the Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) has agreed to conduct dredging of the River Karnaphuli free of cost if the Chittagong Port approves. Replying to a question, Mayor of CCC M Manjurul Alam said that siltation of the channel of the River Karnaphuli from Shah Amanat Bridge to the downstream to CPA jetties was the only cause of water-logging of the port city. So, proper dredging of the river channel would help reducing water-logging in the city, he observed.
For this reason, the CCC has agreed to conduct the dredging of the river.
The Mayor also said if the CPA management agreed to award CCC the dredging works, City Corporation is ready to conduct the works.
It may be mentioned that Malaysia Maritime and Dredging Corporation was appointed to the project on April 28 in 2011.
The works were formally inaugurated on June 5 in 2011.
As per the contract, the appointed organisation would have to complete the project within 18 months after their appointment.
So, the project was scheduled to be completed by December 2012. But strangely, the contractor had left the country suspending the works at half-done.
