WASA needs Tk 50.84b to resolve city water crisis
Thursday, 23 April 2009
Mohammad Jubair Hasan
Dhaka water supply authority has said it needs implementation of four key projects involving Tk 50.84 billion to solve an acute crisis of water for the city's 12 million population.
The Dhaka Wasa can at best ensure supply of 1.80 billion litres of water a day against a demand of 2.10 billion litres, leaving a major part of the city dwellers without the most basic need.
The crisis has aggravated in recent weeks as dozens of Wasa deep-wells have gone dry with the fall in water level, causing sufferings to millions of people in the city's Mirpur, Shewarapara, Pallabi, Jatrabari and Old Dhaka areas.
Wasa officials held a meeting with the local government and rural development secretary on Tuesday and voiced their concern that the water crisis would worsen as demand for tap water is growing at over 10 per cent a year.
They blamed the power crisis for part of the water troubles, saying hundreds of tube-wells cannot draw water during peak hours as their generators remain idle.
"We told the secretary that the government should immediately move ahead in implementing four key projects including the Pagla-Keraniganj and Khilkhet water purification plants to combat the crisis for the long term," said Liakat Ali, a top Wasa official.
"We also demanded immediate purchase of some 200 diesel-run generators to run water pumps during power outages," he said.
The proposed purification plant at Pagla-Keraniganj would cost around Tk22 billion with a capacity to supply 450 million litres of water a day. It would end in June 2014 if the government commences its implementation work from July 2009.
Khilkhet water purification plant would cost Tk 25 billion (Tk 2500 crore) and would be able to distribute 500 million litres of water daily, the Wasa said.
"The two are the most important projects for us. We need to build the plants fast before the water crisis becomes more acute," said Ali, the deputy managing director of Wasa.
He said in the near term they needed to set up 200 diesel-run new generators at a cost of Tk545 million to pump water through some of the non-functioning deep tube-wells. The tube-wells are located in some of the worst affected areas.
The Wasa has also planned to construct a 'well-field' at Bhartuka-Hemayetpur in Savar, which would pipe water from the Singair river in Manikganj and supply it to a network of tube-wells. The project would cost Tk 3.30 billion.
Another Wasa official said they have already held preliminary talks with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Manila-based development lender has agreed to finance the lion's parts of the projects.
"We've already placed those projects before the government for final approval. If the government approves them, we'll start working very shortly," he said.
Dhaka water supply authority has said it needs implementation of four key projects involving Tk 50.84 billion to solve an acute crisis of water for the city's 12 million population.
The Dhaka Wasa can at best ensure supply of 1.80 billion litres of water a day against a demand of 2.10 billion litres, leaving a major part of the city dwellers without the most basic need.
The crisis has aggravated in recent weeks as dozens of Wasa deep-wells have gone dry with the fall in water level, causing sufferings to millions of people in the city's Mirpur, Shewarapara, Pallabi, Jatrabari and Old Dhaka areas.
Wasa officials held a meeting with the local government and rural development secretary on Tuesday and voiced their concern that the water crisis would worsen as demand for tap water is growing at over 10 per cent a year.
They blamed the power crisis for part of the water troubles, saying hundreds of tube-wells cannot draw water during peak hours as their generators remain idle.
"We told the secretary that the government should immediately move ahead in implementing four key projects including the Pagla-Keraniganj and Khilkhet water purification plants to combat the crisis for the long term," said Liakat Ali, a top Wasa official.
"We also demanded immediate purchase of some 200 diesel-run generators to run water pumps during power outages," he said.
The proposed purification plant at Pagla-Keraniganj would cost around Tk22 billion with a capacity to supply 450 million litres of water a day. It would end in June 2014 if the government commences its implementation work from July 2009.
Khilkhet water purification plant would cost Tk 25 billion (Tk 2500 crore) and would be able to distribute 500 million litres of water daily, the Wasa said.
"The two are the most important projects for us. We need to build the plants fast before the water crisis becomes more acute," said Ali, the deputy managing director of Wasa.
He said in the near term they needed to set up 200 diesel-run new generators at a cost of Tk545 million to pump water through some of the non-functioning deep tube-wells. The tube-wells are located in some of the worst affected areas.
The Wasa has also planned to construct a 'well-field' at Bhartuka-Hemayetpur in Savar, which would pipe water from the Singair river in Manikganj and supply it to a network of tube-wells. The project would cost Tk 3.30 billion.
Another Wasa official said they have already held preliminary talks with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Manila-based development lender has agreed to finance the lion's parts of the projects.
"We've already placed those projects before the government for final approval. If the government approves them, we'll start working very shortly," he said.