Dhaka WASA (Water Supply and Sewerage Authority) has a plan to enhance its dependency on water supply from surface level to 70 per cent by 2021 which is now only 22 per cent.
The dependency of underground water is now around 78 per cent which will be 30 per cent by 2012. This initiative has been taken to introduce environment friendly water management," Dhaka WASA managing director Taqsem A Khan said.
He unveiled this at a press conference on 'achievement and challenges' on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Dhaka WASA at its office in the city.
He said: "Only 30 per cent city people get sewerage coverage and recently we have made a sewerage master plan to be completed by 2050 funded by World Bank. In the second phase we will start implementation after getting the fund from World Bank."
He said Dhaka WASA is planning to provide water to all the slum dwellers of Dhaka under legal network by 2015. And the Karail slum people of Banani will be under legal supply by this month.
Dhaka WASA has already provided 1,221 water connections to the city's 315 slums including Karail slum and about 75,000 families of low income community (LIC) will be benefited.
The average annual growth of Dhaka WASA was 21 per cent since last four year.
Regarding the production capacity, Dhaka WASA MD said it has a capacity to supply 2.42 billion litres of safe water per day against its demand of 2.25 billion litres.
The system loss of Dhaka WASA was around 40 per cent which is now only 26 per cent. On the other hand operating ratio is now 0.66 per cent which was 0.90 per cent.
Mr Taqsem said Bangladesh and Chinese governments have already signed a financial deal to implement 'Padma Jashaldia Water Treatment Plant Project' to bring around 450 million litres of water a day from The Padma River. The project cost is Tk 33.36 billion and the work will start this year.
Dhaka WASA has taken 'Gandhabpur Water Treatment Plant Project' funded by Asia Development Bank (ADB) billion to bring around 500 million litres of water from The Meghna River. The estimated project cost is around Tk 56.00 billion.
He also said the feasibility study of Saidabad Water Treatment Plant Project- Phase 3 has already started.
Besides, under the Dhaka Water Supply Sector Development Project costing Tk 14.65 billion, setting up of water pipe line and its rehabilitation work is going on.
Dhaka WASA deputy managing director (admin) Md Ataur Rahman, DMD (finance) Syed Golam Ahammad, DMD (operation and maintenance) SDM Kamrul Alam Chowdhury and chief engineer Shajahan were present, among others, at the press conference.
