#Title

Scarcity of stones

hampering RHD projects
This crisis may push deadlines further, fear officials
TUHIN SHUBHRA ADHIKARY
A scarcity of stones, a crucial construction material, is seriously hampering construction work of different development projects of Roads and Highways Department (RHD). This problem may very well cause delays in meeting project deadlines.
RHD officials and contractors are blaming the rise in cost of stones, due to various reasons, and interruptions in their transportation from a major source in Bhutan.
Although the scarcity has been prevailing since late last year, it intensified in the last two to three months, they said.
As a result, works of several foreign-aided projects -- including SASEC Road Connectivity Project-2, Cross-border Road Network Improvement Project, and Western Bangladesh Bridge Improvement Project -- have slowed down.
Under these projects, more than 200 km of four-lane roads and dozens of bridges are being built.
Besides, many government-funded projects, especially those being implemented in the country’s western part, are facing difficulties to continue work, they said.
If the situation does not improve soon, it would ultimately push project deadlines even further. This is bad news, because many of the projects are already running behind schedule.
RHD is currently implementing 185 projects, including 22 foreign-aided ones, and Tk 19,656 crores were allocated under Annual Development Programme (ADP) for this fiscal year.
WORK SLOWED DOWN
The SASEC-2 is one such project facing difficulties.
RHD is implementing the Tk 1,666,2.38-crore project with a loan from Asian Development Bank (ADB) to make the 190-kilometre Elenga to Rangpur highway have four lanes. The deadline was revised to December 2024 from August 2021.
Explaining the problems, SASEC-2 project director (PD) Waliur Rahman said contractors used to get stones from three sources -- Bhutan, India, and Madhyapara granite mine in Dinajpur.
But, supply from Bhutan remained almost halted for the last four to five months, while the price of “Pakur” stones from India also rose, he told The Daily Star.
Meanwhile, Madhyapara mine cannot supply sufficient stones, leaving project implementers in trouble.
The Cross Border Road Network Improvement Project is another one that is in crisis.
Under the Tk 3,745.51-crore project, RHD is building 17 bridges along with 11.27 km connecting roads, with a loan from Japan.
Its PD, Shyamal Kumar Bhattacharyya, said they were facing issues for the last two months, as contractors are not getting sufficient stones, which is ultimately slowing down work.
The project deadline has already been extended to December 2023, one and a half years more than the original one.
Under the Western Bangladesh Bridge Improvement Project, RHD has already built 61 bridges, and construction of 21 is ongoing.
Its PD, Khan Md Kamrul Ahsan, said they have been facing problems since October last year, and one of the two contractors have already sought for a time-extension, citing shortage of stones, among other reasons.
The current deadline of the Japan-funded Tk 2,911.75 crore project is June.
Concord Pragatee Consortium Ltd (CPCL) is a Bangladesh firm involved with all three projects.
Mrittunjoy Ghosal, director (projects) of CPCL, said, “We are facing severe problems in project implementation due to stone shortage.”
“The problem started in July last year, and intensified recently. We are not getting stones even after paying higher prices,” he told The Daily Star.
The construction season for road and highway development starts in October and ends in March or April, depending on rainfall. “We are losing the ideal time for work due to the shortage,” he added.
Md Moniruzzaman, additional chief engineer (ACE) of RHD’s Rangpur, said they are implementing 18 projects. “We are facing some problems over shortage of stones, and if the situation lingers, the problems will intensify.”
ACE of Rajshahi and Barishal zones also echoed him.
WHAT’S THE PROBLEM?
Mrittunjoy Ghosal said Bhutan was a major supplier of stones, but supply through the Burimari border of Lalmonirhat came to an almost halt for the last few months.
Sources at RHD said the Indian authorities have set up an axle-load control centre on the road that connects Bangladesh with Bhutan through India. As a result, heavily loaded trucks are not allowed to use the road.
Before, a truck used to carry 34 tonnes, but now, is only allowed to carry 17 tonnes.
So, transportation costs rose sharply, and therefore, suppliers almost stopped supplying, said a top RHD official.
In this situation, Indian suppliers have also increased stone prices, he said.
However, the increase in transportation costs due to fuel price hike, and rise of dollar exchange rate are also to blame for more expensive stones, said another RHD official.
The price of per tonne of “pakur” stone of India was around Tk 3,250 in 2018, but it is now around TK 5,500.