ower transmission projects work
COVID-19 fallout: Power transmission projects work to be delayed by a year
Although the government has relaxed the shutdown, enforced to curb the transmission of coronavirus, from May 31, still uncertainty looms large over resuming the field level works in the power transmission projects across the country due to upcoming monsoon .
“Now most of the ongoing projects will be delayed by at least a year as monsoon will start from July and field level works are not possible before the next winter”, said a top official of the Power Grid Company of Bangladesh (PGCB).
Field-level work on 25 ongoing power transmission projects remained suspended since the coronavirus outbreak in China in December last year, hitting hard the power sector development.
According to official sources, most of these projects were either awarded to Chinese contractors or their equipment were supposed to come largely from China.
“Neither the Chinese workers, nor the equipment are coming from China since the pandemic started in Wuhan,” said Golam Kibria, managing director of PGCB.
He said many Chinese companies are working as subcontractors as well in Bangladesh’s power transmission sector.
The top PGCB official said although coronavirus situation in China has improved, Chinese officials and workers, especially the technicians, are not coming back as the virus situation in Bangladesh is worsening.
“Finding no way, we had to suspend the field-level works on the transmission projects,” he added.
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