Water supply in the Chittagong city has partially improved although some areas are still left out of the supply network and some others remain under rationing of water distribution.
The main problem of the water supply system is the worn-out distribution pipeline. Many streets get flooded due to leakages in the pipeline. Other major problems include illegal connections and innumerable inoperative metres which need immediate replacement.
The Chittagong Water and Sewerage Authority (CWASA) said it has signed a contract with a Japanese firm Yokogawa Solution Service Corporation to do the water supply management through computer database. This will ensure uninterrupted water supply to the port city and beyond.
A senior official of the CWASA said the water crisis in some areas is caused by the residents close to the WASA connections. These people draw more water than their necessity. The WASA does not have any alternative measure to check the use of excess water by a section of the subscribers. As a result, the subscribers in remote city areas do not get adequate supply of water.
The CWASA has issued permission to set up over 3,000 deep tubewells in the private sector. These tubewells are partially meeting the water need of the city residents. The residents alleged that the old connections of water have almost become out of use as they don't get water flow properly. Those old lines need to be replaced. The Karnaphuli Water Supply Project (Phase-2) is also under construction. This second phase, if completed, will augment the water supply in the city.
The CWASA said against the city's demand of 550 million (50 crore) litres of water a day it is currently producing 320 million litres of water per day from three projects.
Construction of the Karnaphuli Water Supply Project scheduled completed by June 2014 but the engineering department of the CWASA said it was delayed as the work remained suspended for several months due to political instability at the beginning of 2015. The project was completed in September 2017.
CWASA is currently constructing another water treatment facility called Madunaghat Water Supply Project from which it will fetch 90 million litres of water. Managing Director of the CWASA Engineer AKM Fazlullah said the project would take about one year to complete. More 30 per cent work of the Madunaghat Water Supply Project has been completed.
The CWASA said it has also plans to construct Boalkhali Bhandarjuri Water Supply Project for producing 60 million litres of water by 2019 and Mohra second phase Water Supply Project for 90 million litres by 2020.
Over the last 30 years since last October the CWASA could not implement a single water treatment plant.
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