Physical progress in SASEC Info Highway only 30pc

KATHMANDU:

With only 30 per cent of progress achieved in physical works so far, South Asian Sub-Regional Economic Cooperation (SASEC) Information Highway is all set to fail in meeting the project completion deadline for the second time.

Citing that the delay was caused by ‘practical problems’, the government is preparing to give more time to the project.

The Ministry of Information and Communications (MoIC), the project implementing authority, has stated that it will give time of up to March or April 2015 to the South Korean contractor — ICRAFT — to complete the project.

The project that started in January 2013 aims to connect four countries — Nepal, India, Bangladesh and Bhutan — with cross-country optical fibre connection and was supposed to have been completed by November last year. After the project got delayed, the deadline had been extended till December 2014.

“As the project faced multiple practical problems in implementation phase, there has been an agreement in principle to provide maximum four months of extra time to the contractor,” said Bharat Bahadur Dhungana, chief of the SASEC Information Highway Project.

The project has witnessed around 50 per cent financial progress till date. It is being implemented with support of Asian Development Bank and similar projects are also being carried out in India, Bangladesh and Bhutan.

Delay in issuance of commitment letter to the contractor, delay in approval of design from Department of Roads for laying optical fibre cable along the BP Highway, shortage of construction materials and redesigning of the project pushed the entire work in low gear, according to Dhungana.

Of the total 170 km optical fibre cable extension plan under the project, 100 km will be underground, while 70 km will be extended above the ground. MoIC officials said that after redesigning the fibre extension plan, the Japanese contractor which is involved in construction of BP Highway has also agreed to allow extension of the cable along the highway.

For SASEC Information Highway project, the government has received $5 million, which will be used for three components — setting up cross-border optical fibre connectivity, making ICT accessible in rural communities by setting up community e-centres, and research and development. Under the project, 30 community e-centres are being established in nine districts, including Sunsari, Saptari, Dhanusha, Mahottari, Sindhuli and Kavrepalanchowk, among others.

MoIC has said that the development of cross-country fibre link will help reduce the cost of voice and data services. The fibre connection to be extended will establish cross-border connectivity through Cable Landing Station (CLS) at Rani, Biratnagar, which will have a connection with Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) network in Jogbani, India.

Similarly, there will be another connection with CLS at Birgunj that will link Raxaul, India. To this effect, the project will also lay fibre from Hetauda to Biratnagar via Bardibas and Hetauda to Birgunj via Pathlaiya.

Source: THT