The Cox's Bazar Development Authority (CBDA) has taken steps to conduct a feasibility study for setting up a Central Sewage Treatment Plant (CSTP) and curb pollution since many multi-storey buildings in the hotel-motel zone of the beach city do not have such facilities.
A CSTP can be constructed by taking multifaceted initiatives and financial support from international organizations. Research is also needed to improve technical skills in this regard, CBDA Chairman Commodore (Retd) Mohammad Nurul Abshar said at a views exchange meeting on Wednesday.
President of Hotel-Motel Owners Association Abul Kashem and other representatives said there is no opportunity to construct STP as the hotels/guest houses constructed in Cox's Bazar since those are built on 4/5 katha plots. He assured that they will provide financial support and overall assistance if an initiative is taken to set up a CSTP.
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General Secretary of the Hatchery Owners Association Najibur Rahman echoed the hotel owners' views.
In his speech, the CBDA chairman said they sent letters to 134 hotels-motels/guest houses/cottages seeking information regarding their sewage treatment plants. In reply, only six hotels said they have STPs and 39 hotel-motels/guest houses/cottages have three-chamber septic tanks. No response came from the remaining 89 establishments.
Dhaka TribuneCBDA Member (Engineering) Lt Col Md Khizir Khan said having an STP in the plan is mandatory to obtain land use clearance and building design approval from the CBDA before building construction.
“The Occupancy Certificate will not be issued and disciplinary action will be taken if any deviation from the approved design is noticed,” he added.
Mostafizur Rahman, the executive engineer of the Directorate of Public Health Engineering, said the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank have already expressed interest in financing the construction of a CSTP in Cox's Bazar.
Dhaka TribuneAmong others, Deputy Urban Planner of CBDA Md Tanveer Hasan Rezaul, representatives of Hotel-Motel Owners Association Salim Newaz, Muqib Khan and Hafizur Rahman also spoke at the meeting.