The much-hyped Hatirjheel-Begunbari project in the capital loses its beauty within four months of its splendid inauguration for lack of monitoring and maintenance.
Residents of the surrounding the area of the project have alleged that mindless activities of some visitors and local hoodlums are posing threat to both the general commuters as well as to the newly built infrastructures.
Siddiqur Rahman, a corporate official living near Sonargaon part of the project, has told New Age that the project no doubt saves the water body but the beauty of the dazzling project does not match with the shabby surroundings where low income people are living.
Within the project area, some people are doing businesses like selling futchka, chotpoti, cigarette and beetle leaf, some have arranged small (portable) restaurants, some play carom while some are seen drying clothes.
The authorities have not yet deployed patrol police or guides for the visitors. As a result, people indulge in rowdy driving, littering, wrong car parking, complained Mimi Minhaz, a housewife who frequent the project are for regular exercise.
The government opened the much-hyped project in January hastily without arranging any regular patrol for its maintenance, while components like footbridge over lake, viewing decks, floating deck, amphitheatre, bridges, information centres, celebration points, child zone and underpasses were still under-construction.
Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha superintending engineer and project director ASM Raihanul Ferdous acknowledged that no mentionable works they had done after the inauguration but formed two committees for management and monitoring.
He said they sent a proposal to the public works ministry where they proposed an estimated cost of preservation and management unit building at Hatirjheel and boundary wall for its protection.
Setting up a pump station and Dasherkandi Sewage Treatment Plant, which the Water Supply and Sewerage Authority is tasked with, was yet to start, said Raihanul.
He said they accomplished the main objective of the project — improving the drainage system, connecting the east with the west part of the city, building a proper sewerage, and construction of walkways and roads around Hatirjheel and Begunbari canals to improve communication and reduce traffic jam.
Rajdhani Unnayan Kartipakkha, 16 Engineering Construction Battalion of Bangladesh Army, Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority and Local Government Engineering Department are jointly implementing the Tk 1971.3048 crore project with BUET as consultant.
Prime minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the ‘Integrated development of Hatirjheel area including Begunbari Khal project’ on January 2.
-With New Age input
