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DPR of the proposed Feni Bridge is expected to be submitted by December
TIWN
DPR of the proposed Feni Bridge is expected to be submitted by December
PHOTO : Proposed location of Feni Bridge. TIWN File Photo

AGARTALA, November 9 (TIWN): The Detailed Project Report (DPR) of the proposed Feni Bridge in South Tripura district is expected to be submitted before the state government by December. The alignment fixation, bridge types and other specifications of the field survey on Indian side were completed already, said sources.

The VKS Infratech, consultancy firm engaged for preparing DPR for the project, met Engineer-in-Chief of the Public Works Department (PWD) Sunil Bhowmik to discuss progress of the work and assured the Engineer-in-Chief that the DPR would be ready by mid of December following which state government can expect to take up the issue for discussion with the central government.

The Engineer-in-Chief later spoke with Director of Industries and Commerce Department Praveen Aggarwal to take up the issue for survey on the Bangladesh side of the proposed bridge. An estimated survey of 20-25 days on the Bangla side would be sufficient to collect all necessary data following which engineering design, drawing and other technical details could be prepared, Bhowmik said.

The Feni bridge is expected to draw a significant segment of the proposed economic corridor through India, Bangladeshi, China and Myanmar. The proposal for construction of Feni Bridge was started with an estimated expense of Rs. 77 crores among other projects for higher bilateral understanding between India and Bangladesh.

As per bilateral understanding, approach road to the bridge on Bangladeshi territory was supposed to be funded by the Government of India. The centre sought funding from a foreign collaborative funding agency operating in Tripura for the approach road in response to which the latter agreed to fund if progress of construction work for bridge could be established.

Once the 150-metre reinforced cement concrete (RCC) bridge is constructed, India's mountainous northeastern states would be able to access Chittagong international port and other ports in Bangladesh to ferry heavy equipment, foodgrain and other essentials from various parts of the country and abroad.

The Bangladesh government has already agreed to allow India to use Chittagong port, about 75 km from Tripura's southern border town of Sabroom.

India is already using Ashuganj port on the river Meghna in eastern Bangladesh, which is around 40 km from Tripura, for transhipments. The Indian government has spent several millions of rupees to develop the port and its related infrastructure.

It is be mentioned that during a visit to Dhaka in January 2010, Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar took up the matter with Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina that they wanted to build a bridge over the river Feni as the business community of the Indian north-eastern region wanted to use the Chittagong seaport.

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