Dhaka WASA is set to seek the approval of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) for a TK920.85crore “emergency” water supply project that will rely absolutely on groundwater extraction. Titled ‘Emergency Water Supply in Dhaka City’, the proposed project aims to add 57 crore litres of water per day by replacing deep tube wells, installing new ones, and regenerating existing wells, according to a report published in a local daily on Monday.
This is a flat contradiction of WASA’s original goal which was to reduce dependence on groundwater. Concerns over excessive groundwater extraction date back to 20009-10. The water table is falling by about one metre each year risking a deeper crisis.
The move comes at a time when two of Dhaka WASA’s surface water projects, aimed at ensuring a sustainable water supply for the capital, remain incomplete. The projects –Gandharbpur Water Treatment plant (Phase-1) and Saidabad Water Treatment Plant (Phase-3) were designed to shift the city away from its heavy reliance on groundwater.
Once operational, the projects are expected to add about 95 crore litres of water daily. But years elapsed, both the projects remain incomplete. According to sources, only about 50 percent of the Gandharbpur project has been completed over the past decade, while progress on the Saidabad phase-3 project is just about 20 percent. This slow pace of work and inordinate delay in implementing the projects have enormously contributed to the growing water supply gap in the capital city.
The TK 920 crore emergency plan, as the WASA terms it, has drawn flak from the experts, who warn of further falling water table and long-term risks. It also triggered concern among experts, who say the initiative reflects a growing dependence on short-term fixes while structural solutions continue to face delays. The failure to complete the ongoing projects while returning to large-scale groundwater extraction has been termed by the experts unsustainable and ‘self-defeating’.
WASA officials insist the project is essential as water demand in Dhaka is growing rapidly. They say the initiative is both interim and essential. According to them, Dhaka’s daily water demand is about 320 crore litres, with 70 percent currently supplied from deep tube wells. The proposed project will add 57 crore litres a day. Dhaka’s water demand may reach 360crore litres per day by 2029 due to population growth and urbanization. According to WASA, the interim project is indispensable to meet the growing demand of water in the city.
Experts say, completing the existing projects on time could have avoided the need for repeated interim measures, reducing costs and stabilizing the system. They further say the isolated steps will not resolve the water crisis and called for a coordinated, long-term strategies. Public money is being wasted due to delays in the implementation of major projects. As such interim projects will increase costs and jeopardize the environment, the government should prioritise completing the ongoing projects.
