Construction of the Karnaphuli Water Treatment Plant in Pomra, Rangunia in Chittagong is almost stopped now and it is uncertain to say about its completion time, sources said.
The government appointed construction firm has started the project's construction work in the year 2011 aiming to meet the current acute drinking water crisis in Chittagong city corporation area at a cost of Tk 16 billion.
The slow construction progress by the construction firm is delaying its commissioning a source in the Chittagong Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (CWASA) said.
The CWASA chief engineer AKM Fazlullah said, "We awarded the constructing job to a Chinese company but they are yet to achieve the satisfactory level progress."
He said, "For public interest we can not wait for a long time and if the existing firm does not advance we may think about other ways as our water crisis is worsening."
According to a CWASA source in the construction site area they do not see any people in the site and all the equipments are sitting idle there.
The CWASA chief engineer said, "We have awarded the constructing job to a joint venture (JV) company between Beijing Sound Environmental Engineering Company Limited (BSEEC) and CNTIC."
He said the Chinese CNTIC/BSEEC JV firm has already missed a scheduled time and it is enjoying extended time.
A source in the construction site said the constructing firm's current progress is slow and in the site no Chinese company staffs are seen.
In Chittagong City Corporation area after completion of the project it is likely to add 143 million litres drinking water per day to the CWASA.
Current demand for drinking water under the CWASA is more than 400 million litres per day but the authority can supply only 200 million litres.
In delay of the project a senior citizen in Chittagong told the FE, "It is frustrating that the project is yet to be completed in the acute crisis for drinking water."
A source in the CWASA said the Chinese company is currently engaged in a legal fight with its sub contractor.
He said for the interest of people in the Chittagong city corporation any kind of dispute or problem should immediately be solved and the project should be completed as soon as possible.
People need water they should not suffer for the constructing firm's problem, he said.
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