Following several rescheduling of project deadlines, the implementation of Karnaphuli Water Supply Project is finally on its course to be finished by this October, with around 75% of the work now completed.
AKM Fazlullah, managing director of Chittagong Water Supply and Sewerage Authority, expressed hopes of achieving the October target for the project in Chittagong’s Rangunia upazila.
Once the project is complete, around 70% water demands of the Chittagong city residents would be met by a new water treatment plant that will supply an additional 140 million litres of water per day (MLD), he added.
“Firstly, the project cost was estimated Tk967 crore in 2006; the cost was revised to Tk1,510 crore in 2010; however, the final sum up cost may stand at Tk1,800 crore on completion of the project,” Fazlullah told a press briefing following a visit to the project site in Rangunia yesterday.
The project’s initial duration was supposed to be March 2006 to June 2010, but the land acquisition of the project was not completed until 2009 – resulting in the revision of the project implementation schedule to July 2010-October 2014.
However, construction was hindered during 2013 and for several months in 2014 because of political unrest and some local problems, the Chittagong Wasa MD said.
“But the project’s construction work is now going on in full swing, and if the momentum is continued, the entire work will be concluded this October,” he added.
The Chittagong Wasa MD said the Rangunia site on the banks of the Karnaphuli was chosen as it was possible to collect water from that point throughout the year, while the water salinity there was less than any other point of Karnaphuli River.
“We will daily acquire 145MLD water from the river, which is only 3% water of the river, and will supply 140MLD purified water to the city through our newly set up 68.09km of pipelines,” he said.
Project Director Jan-e-Alam said the water treatment plant would be bigger than the port city’s lone existing plant at Chandgaon’s Mohora area. Once another ongoing water treatment project in Hathazari’s Madunaghat is completed, around 97% water demand of the city dwellers would be met, he added.
If it is completed by October, the city residents would reap the benefits by December, Jan-e-Alam added.
At present, Chittagong Wasa has 582km of pipeline network for 52,000 service connections and is capable of supplying 210-220MLD water, which is 42% of the city’s total demand.
On June 29, 2006, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), signed a loan agreement worth 12,224 million yen (over $100.75m) with the Bangladesh government for the project comprising of 143MLD water treatment plant construction, conveyance, transmission and distribution pipelines installation, a new reservoir construction in the city’s Nasirabad, Batali Hill reservoir and Khulshi Booster Pump Station modifications.