A massive initiative has been taken to resolve the crisis of pure drinking water in the capital city Dhaka, according to a reliable source.
To that end, a project styled “Dhaka Environmentally Sustainable Water Supply Project” is being implemented in Araihajar and Rupganj upazilas of Narayanganj district.
An intact with water lifting capacity of 105 crore litres of water per day has been installed in Bishnandi area situated on the western bank of the river Meghna. Besides, pure drinking water will be lifted and supplied from the eastern bank of Shitalakkhya, a place owned by D’WASA.
LGRD Minister Tajul Islam has recently visited the Gandhabpur Water Treatment Plant in Rupganj and told the journalists that he expressed that work on the project will complete very soon.
On the other hand, level of underground water has decreased so we need to think about the surface water received from different projects. The minister hopes that work on Gandhabpur Water Treatment Plant will be completed in 2023.
Meanwhile, the minister visited the Weldfield Plant in Tetuljhara-Bhakurta area of Savar which is being implemented by Dhaka WASA.
While talking to journalists, he said, we are working to ensure pure drinking water in the rural area at the directive of the prime minister. He expressed the hope that the government would be able to ensure supply of 70% pure drinking water from the surface.
Referring to a two-year study in Bhakurta Weldfield, he said, no variation was found in the underground water level in the surrounding area despite it was expected worse.
On the whole, a project of building a 50 crore litre capacity of water (per day) treatment plant on first stage, has been taken. As a result, it will be possible to ensure 100 percent supply of pure drinking water in the north-western part of Dhaka city, especially in Badda, Gulshan, Banani, Uttara, Mirpur, Dakkhinkhan, Uttarkhan, Matikata and some other areas of Dhaka city.
The D’WASA is implementing the project under the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives, 30 percent work of which been completed.
According to sources, the project was included in the DPP in 2014 and scheduled to be completed in December, last year. But work on the project started in May, 2019. Later, tenure of the project was extended till June, 2022.
Initially, the cost of the project was estimated at Taka,5242 but now it has been increased to Taka 5157 crore.
