Water crisis expected to ease in Ctg
SHAMSUDDIN ILLIUS, Ctg
Publication Date: 4 November, 2016
Media: The Independent
Original URL : Water crisis expected to ease in Ctg
E-paper URL: Water crisis expected to ease in Ctg
A longstanding water crisis in Chittagong city is about to ease, with the much-hyped Karnaphuli Water Supply Project Phase-1 (KWSP-1) ready to supply water.
It is supposed to give about 143 million litres of water per day (MLD) to city residents from next week.
Currently, the Chittagong Water Supply Sewerage Authority (CWASA) is able to supply just about 200-180 MLD against a daily demand of 500-550 MLD. With the KWSP water beginning to flow from next week, the volume of supply is expected to rise to around 350 MLD.
Contacted, CWASA managing director AKM Fazullah told The Independent, “The work of the project has been completed. Now we are testing the project water. We hope the city dwellers will get the water from the project.”
“We hope the ongoing water crisis in the city will be reduced to some extent with the commissioning of KWSP-1,” he said.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will formally inaugurate the project in November, but the date is yet to be fixed, he added.
“We have taken up two more projects—the Chittagong Water Supply Improvement and Sanitation Project and the KWSP-2 mega project. The first one, expected to be completed in 2018, will supply 90 MLD, while the other, to be readied by 2022, will supply 143 MLD. Once these two projects begin operation, all city dwellers will get water,” said AKM Fazullah.
The CWASA has failed to meet the water demand since its inception in 1963, resulting in an acute water scarcity in parts of Chittagong city. The crisis deepens during summer.
The CWASA launched the much-hyped KWS Project-1 in 2010 with the aim of easing the city’s current water crisis. The completion deadline was fixed for January 2010. But construction work did not begin in time, and the project failed its completion deadline four times, resulting in a cost escalation of Tk. 1,881 crore over its initial estimated outlay of Tk. 963 crore.
Moreover, the demand for water has steadily risen over time. Many city areas get water for two days a week and some even once a week. Residents of Halishahar, Kowtali, Monsurbad, and Phartali areas alleged that they get water once or twice a week.
Those living in Lalkhan Bazaar, Chawak Bazaar, Bakalia and Mehedibag are forced to store water in plastic drums or large earthen pots. Residents of Bakalia, Dewan Bazar, Chawakbazar, Kapasghola, Bahadarhat, Badurtala, Chwakbazar, Anderkilla, Jamal Khan, Love Lane, Enayetbazar, Muradpur, Hamzarbag, Nasirabad, GEC, Madarbari, and Polytechnic areas also complained of a crippling water shortage.
“Every year, they promise us that the water crisis will be resolved, but there is no solution in sight. It will be good for us if we get water in this month,” said Mofizur Rahman of Anderkilla area.
Jhorna Begum, a resident of Halishahar, told The Independent, “We have been paying water bills for a long time, but we do not get water. The CWASA assured us that we will get water once the KWSP is launched. We are waiting for that.”
The CWASA has a total of 61,717 domestic connections, and 7,387 commercial and industrial connections.
