Infrastructure project works grind to a halt

The coronavirus pandemic has thrown a spanner in the works of all major infrastructure projects, a turn of events that is poised to delay implementation and scale up cost, according to project officials and experts.

The government is currently implementing more than $30 billion worth of infrastructure projects such as the Padma bridge, Rooppur nuclear power plant, Matarbari power plant, Karnaphuli river tunnel and Dhaka metro rail.

"Progress is slowing down every day due to the pandemic and I am not sure what will happen if the outbreak prolongs," said Md Shafiqul Islam, project director of Padma bridge, the country's largest 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 visible now after 26 of the 41 spans were installed.

According to the revised deadline, the country's longest bridge will open 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 once the pandemic is over.

Coronavirus is a global 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 involved with the project.

At present, 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 began in 2016, has made 38.35 per cent progress as of November last year and was expected to open to public on December 16 next year. The deadline might be pushed back now.

The coronavirus pandemic is a fresh blow to the infrastructure projects that customarily have 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 are able to work under the prevailing situation, which will definitely slow down the progress of the projects and in the long run 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 due to the pandemic will leave a negative impact on economic growth, he said, adding that losses could be minimised if the implementing entities and contractors can reach a consensus for putting in extra effort.

"But everything will depend on the charisma of the government and the project directors."