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Circular waterway delayed

Avik Sanwar Rahman
Completion of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA)'s circular waterway project is set to miss its December 2004 deadline as construction of three major landing stations have been put back due to a delay in acquisition of land.
The project should be finished by March 2005, said Abul Kashem, circular waterway project's director (PD).
"Although the land ministry had allotted us the land, we could not acquire them in time because of the pressure from land-grabbers, which has delayed the project," said the PD.
The PD however said that 40 percent construction of the three major landing stations at Gabtoli, Aminbazar and Ashulia and 80 percent of the project's overall work have been completed.
So far only one major landing station at Swarighat has finished. It includes two pontoons, two steel gangways, one terminal building, one transit shed and a connecting road with the other major landing stations.
According to BIWTA sources, river commuters and cargo vessels are already using one major and four minor landi ng stations out of the eight
Construction of pontoons, steel gangways and passenger guestrooms
have been completed at minor landing stations at Kholamora and Basila. These stations have been inaugurated for the public by the Shipping Minister.
Tvo RCC staircases and toll stations have been constructed at Nawabganj and Rayerbazar for the benefit of the local boat traffic.
"Construction of minor landing stations at Shinnir Tek near Mirpur National Zoo and Biruliabazar opposite to Uttara is also finished," informed the superintendent engineer ofBIWTA.
The first phase of the circular waterway project with a budget ofTk 36 crore has covered the Buriganga and Turag rivers comprising an area of 29.5 kilometres between Sadarghat and Ashulia. Already Tk 34 crore have been spent, according to BIWTA sources. The Economic Committee of National Economic Council (Ecnec) approved the funds for the first phase of the project on September 3,2003.
"Dredging has been done on 17 kms," informed the Project Director.
River dredging gets priority in the project as 60 per cent of the total budget has been allocated for that purpose. 25 per cent of the fund is for land acquisition and 15 per cent of the money would be used for the construction of
landing facilities from Swarighat to Ashulia.
'fhe scheduled deadline for introducing waterbuses and watertaxis for commuters on Buriganga and Turag waterways is June 2005. To hasten the pace of the project Ecnec had brought forward the finish-deadline from 2005 to 2004.
The second phase of the Ccircular waterway project was originally supposed to start from July 2004 covering Balu and Shitalkhya rivers which encircle the city. If the first phase miss the deadline the fate of the second phase will become uncertain fear high officials ofBIWTA.
It is believed that currently more than 128 lakh commuters travel on the waterways in the city and thousands of tons of cargo, building materials like bricks, sand, cement and a huge number of livestock are transported through the rivers.
The circular waterway is expected to reduce the serious traffic congestion of the inner city. Navigation and dredging would also ensure normal flow of the rivers, which would aid fisheries. Pollution would come down also as water will not remain stagnant.
Dhaka is one of the few cities in the world where a circular waterway can be established as rivers surround it