Going in loops: Back to point zero
CDA extends the deadline indefinitely after engineering faults surface in the project.
ISLAMABAD:
The completion deadline for the Zero Point Interchange (ZPI) has been extended indefinitely. The decision was taken after the mega project managed to hop several deadlines given by the city authority.
Member Engineering of Capital Development Authority (CDA), Abdul Jabbar Malano, when contacted, confirmed the development and said that they were anxiously waiting for the machinery from France to anchor the National Monument’s hill. The area lies adjacent to one of the loops of the interchange and its steep slope all the way up to the monument was being termed as susceptible to land sliding.
He said that apart from the monument-side loop, traffic on the remaining sides will be opened very soon. “However, the process of compaction and reinforcement of the hill will require ample time,” he added.
ZPI Project Director Mumtaz Hussain claimed that the loop beneath the monument was not initially part of the project and lead to its delay.
The law and order situation, VVIP movements, rains and shortage of funds are the other excuses presented by the CDA officials for the holdup.
However, “Pak China Friendship Centre”, a few steps away from the Zero Point Interchange, was completed within its stipulated time of 22 months. In his recent visit prime minister of China inaugurated the centre.
On the other hand, Prime Minister of Pakistan Yousuf Raza Gilani and a parliamentary committee directed CDA to execute ZPI project on time but to no avail. CDA’s concerned official, Malano, said that there was no restriction on the free movement of vehicles that were carrying material for Pak-China centre.”But,” he said, “Besides lack of funds, CDA had to face restrictions on transportation of building material.”
The first deadline for the Rs2.75 billion ZPI project was September 31, 2010. After revision in its cost, it was extended to December 31, 2010. But the civic body was unable to complete the project. After that a series of technical and procedural irregularities surfaced.
The final cost of ZPI, at Rs4.1 billion, is almost twice the initial budget of Rs2.27 billion. As per rules, the original proposal known as the PC-1 has to be revised when the cost of a project changes, but in ZPI’s case the changes were not made.
The Express Tribune has learnt that the planning directorate of CDA had earlier opposed the idea of constructing an interchange at Zero Point. A high level official of the authority said that it was mentioned in the planning directorate’s proposal that soil at Zero Point was not sustainable.
“It was proposed that the interchange be shifted to some other safe place,” the official said. He confirmed that after the construction of various loops and sections there were some technical and engineering faults which had still not been removed.
The ZPI project was first conceived in the mid-1990s, after which millions of rupees were wasted on three earlier designs and PC-1 contracts. The placement of the National Monument at a suitable cliff near Zero Point crossing kept requiring that the designs be changed.
The delay in implementing the project escalated construction costs from Rs400 million to Rs3 billion, after which the project was eventually given to a Karachi-based firm, Maqbool Associates.
On the other hand, the decision to construct “Pak-China Friendship Centre” was taken during Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz’s visit to China in December 2004. The Chinese premier laid the foundation stone for it during his visit to Pakistan in April 2005.
The centre was completed within 22 months at a cost of Rs3 billion. Chinese companies IPPR and Shanghai Group designed and constructed the centre, respectively.
Brigadier Maqbool Ahmad, the Project Director of the centre said the Chinese engineers and construction companies worked passionately and fulfilled their commitment by confronting all kinds of challenges including security threats to the Chinese engineers.
He said, “They handed over the keys of the centre on the completion date.”
Published in The Express Tribune, February 14th, 2011.
The completion deadline for the Zero Point Interchange (ZPI) has been extended indefinitely. The decision was taken after the mega project managed to hop several deadlines given by the city authority.
Member Engineering of Capital Development Authority (CDA), Abdul Jabbar Malano, when contacted, confirmed the development and said that they were anxiously waiting for the machinery from France to anchor the National Monument’s hill. The area lies adjacent to one of the loops of the interchange and its steep slope all the way up to the monument was being termed as susceptible to land sliding.
He said that apart from the monument-side loop, traffic on the remaining sides will be opened very soon. “However, the process of compaction and reinforcement of the hill will require ample time,” he added.
ZPI Project Director Mumtaz Hussain claimed that the loop beneath the monument was not initially part of the project and lead to its delay.
The law and order situation, VVIP movements, rains and shortage of funds are the other excuses presented by the CDA officials for the holdup.
However, “Pak China Friendship Centre”, a few steps away from the Zero Point Interchange, was completed within its stipulated time of 22 months. In his recent visit prime minister of China inaugurated the centre.
On the other hand, Prime Minister of Pakistan Yousuf Raza Gilani and a parliamentary committee directed CDA to execute ZPI project on time but to no avail. CDA’s concerned official, Malano, said that there was no restriction on the free movement of vehicles that were carrying material for Pak-China centre.”But,” he said, “Besides lack of funds, CDA had to face restrictions on transportation of building material.”
The first deadline for the Rs2.75 billion ZPI project was September 31, 2010. After revision in its cost, it was extended to December 31, 2010. But the civic body was unable to complete the project. After that a series of technical and procedural irregularities surfaced.
The final cost of ZPI, at Rs4.1 billion, is almost twice the initial budget of Rs2.27 billion. As per rules, the original proposal known as the PC-1 has to be revised when the cost of a project changes, but in ZPI’s case the changes were not made.
The Express Tribune has learnt that the planning directorate of CDA had earlier opposed the idea of constructing an interchange at Zero Point. A high level official of the authority said that it was mentioned in the planning directorate’s proposal that soil at Zero Point was not sustainable.
“It was proposed that the interchange be shifted to some other safe place,” the official said. He confirmed that after the construction of various loops and sections there were some technical and engineering faults which had still not been removed.
The ZPI project was first conceived in the mid-1990s, after which millions of rupees were wasted on three earlier designs and PC-1 contracts. The placement of the National Monument at a suitable cliff near Zero Point crossing kept requiring that the designs be changed.
The delay in implementing the project escalated construction costs from Rs400 million to Rs3 billion, after which the project was eventually given to a Karachi-based firm, Maqbool Associates.
On the other hand, the decision to construct “Pak-China Friendship Centre” was taken during Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz’s visit to China in December 2004. The Chinese premier laid the foundation stone for it during his visit to Pakistan in April 2005.
The centre was completed within 22 months at a cost of Rs3 billion. Chinese companies IPPR and Shanghai Group designed and constructed the centre, respectively.
Brigadier Maqbool Ahmad, the Project Director of the centre said the Chinese engineers and construction companies worked passionately and fulfilled their commitment by confronting all kinds of challenges including security threats to the Chinese engineers.
He said, “They handed over the keys of the centre on the completion date.”
Published in The Express Tribune, February 14th, 2011.