Photo By Lt. Col. Matthew Schroff | Engineer Mumtaz Omerzai discusses design specifications for the exterior of the...... read more read more
TARIN KOWT, Afghanistan – Provincial Reconstruction Team engineers and civilian contractors recently conducted a string of worksite inspections for major construction projects on the Provincial Project List here.
The Sorkh Murghab Mosque, Tarin Kowt Prison and Malalai Girl’s School are all proceeding on track and on timeline for their respective opening times this spring, said Capt. Andrew Oxlade, Project Engineer for PRT Uruzgan.
“Since we first arrived here and received the handover from the works team of MTF-1 (Mentoring Task Force) there’s been a significant development in most of the projects” said Oxlade. “Construction is really moving forward, and the projects are not too far off completion. Generally we’re pretty happy with how they’re progressing”
The first stop on the assessment was the Sorkh Murghab Mosque, a circular building capped with a giant tiled blue dome, and a ten-meter minaret outside.
“The biggest challenge was the dome,” said Engineer Mohammad Wasil, the contractor who has been working on the project for more than six months. “Another thing is that it’s a round building, which is a challenge for me.”
Oxlade agreed, and noted that it’s one of the more interesting designs around the area.
“Previous Works Teams contended with the challenge of the design…there are a lot of arches and curves, and it’s a bit architecturally challenging for the contractor as well,” he said.
Despite these obstacles, the mosque is on schedule to be completed next month. In anticipation, the area around the mosque has already shown signs of increased construction and development.
“People are very happy, and as you can see people are moving into this area,” said Wasil, gesturing to the expanding market area and nearby dwellings under construction. “They want to start living here, so they really like this, they’re really happy.”
Another project, started by the Netherlands and now augmented by the Australian Agency for International Development, is the new Tarin Kowt Prison on track for a completion date in April. Heavy construction is nearly complete, with rendering, door and window installation and electrical work now in progress.
“There’s quite a lot of focus on this project, since the other prison facility in Tarin Kowt is not really suitable,” Oxlade said, referring to the current Tarin Kowt prison which is in a small, uncovered area surrounded by mud walls. The new project promises additional security with stone walls, more concertina wire and strong steel doors and bars. “The steelwork for prison doors has been quite good, meeting the requirements for prison security,” he said. “Despite some initial obstacles, the contractor has shown improvement and a desire to achieve a successful result.”
The Malalai Girl’s School is another highly anticipated project, which has progressed quickly since it began only a few months ago. The 23 classroom school has had minor setbacks, but the director of the construction company is confident in meeting the opening deadline.
“I’ve had some problems with delivering supplies to from Kandahar to here, since gasoline prices have gone up,” said Haji Hameedullah Hammedi, director of the Hammedi Construction Company, builders of the project. “But I don’t really have any problems with the project here.”
Hammedi did cite the lack of professional workers in the area, saying that he brings down skilled laborers from areas such as Jalalabad and Kabul, and uses local unskilled laborers per the contract.
“As part of our contract we specify to maximize the use of unskilled labor local to the area, which helps generate employment and other effects as developing the local economy through improved trade and commerce,” said Oxlade. He explained that since Uruzgan has fewer skilled workers than other provinces, it’s also the responsibility of the contractor to train some of the unskilled workers. “We also encourage contractors to use graduates from the local Trade Training School, to not only use the skills they’ve developed there, but to get them out into the workforce.”
He also stressed that although the PRT inspects and checks their progress, they’re also mentors to the contractors.
“There are always challenges with construction work, and some projects are more technically challenging than others,” he said. “We make it a point to work with the local contractors to find solutions to some of those problems, and we’re pretty happy with the way things are going.”
| Date Taken: | 02.01.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 02.02.2011 12:44 |
| Story ID: | 64659 |
| Location: | TARIN KOWT, AF |
| Web Views: | 564 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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