Wasa: No sewerage system in 80% buildings in Dhaka
Photo: Mahmud Hossain Opu/Dhaka Tribune
Tribune Report
Publish : 04 Dec 2021, 08:35 PMUpdate : 14 Feb 2022, 01:24 PM
A bulk volume of sewerage always clogs drains and canals in Dhaka as 80% of residential and commercial buildings do not have sewerage systems despite it being mandatory, said Taksim A Khan, managing director of Dhaka Wasa.
He was speaking at a press conference at the Wasa building in Dhaka on Friday.
Responding to a question, the Wasa chief said that the Rajuk Act has a provision on waste management in residential and commercial buildings. “But only 20% of buildings in Dhaka have such a system. The remaining buildings are directly connected to the city corporation's drains and canals.”
On October 19, 2021, addressing the same issue, the Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) warned the building owners to install septic tanks and soak well within April 2022. If the building owners did not follow the directives within this period, the DNCC would disconnect the sewerage lines.
“If sewage is released to canals, the water flow will be better in future as Dhaka Wasa has undertaken to set up five separate plants in the city,” said Taksim.
Most buildings do not have effective septic tanks and soak wells. As a result, the overall environment, including the water of the reservoir, is being polluted as the untreated sewage falls directly into the drains or canals.
The Wasa chief also said: “Dhaka Wasa is a role model today in water supply in South Asia. At present, Dhaka Wasa daily water extraction and production capacity is 260-265 crore litres and 270-275 crore respectively.”
At present, 33% of the total water produced by Dhaka Wasa is collected from surface sources while 67% water is pumped from underground sources, like deep tube wells, said Taksim.
About 70% of the water supplied to Dhaka city would come from surface water sources by 2023 and the remaining portion would be collected underground, he added.
Wasa: No sewerage system in 80% buildings in Dhaka
A bulk volume of sewerage always clogs drains and canals in Dhaka as 80% of residential and commercial buildings do not have sewerage systems despite it being mandatory, said Taksim A Khan, managing director of Dhaka Wasa.
He was speaking at a press conference at the Wasa building in Dhaka on Friday.
Responding to a question, the Wasa chief said that the Rajuk Act has a provision on waste management in residential and commercial buildings. “But only 20% of buildings in Dhaka have such a system. The remaining buildings are directly connected to the city corporation's drains and canals.”
On October 19, 2021, addressing the same issue, the Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) warned the building owners to install septic tanks and soak well within April 2022. If the building owners did not follow the directives within this period, the DNCC would disconnect the sewerage lines.
“If sewage is released to canals, the water flow will be better in future as Dhaka Wasa has undertaken to set up five separate plants in the city,” said Taksim.
Most buildings do not have effective septic tanks and soak wells. As a result, the overall environment, including the water of the reservoir, is being polluted as the untreated sewage falls directly into the drains or canals.
The Wasa chief also said: “Dhaka Wasa is a role model today in water supply in South Asia. At present, Dhaka Wasa daily water extraction and production capacity is 260-265 crore litres and 270-275 crore respectively.”
At present, 33% of the total water produced by Dhaka Wasa is collected from surface sources while 67% water is pumped from underground sources, like deep tube wells, said Taksim.
About 70% of the water supplied to Dhaka city would come from surface water sources by 2023 and the remaining portion would be collected underground, he added.
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