To construct a Sewage Treatment Plant at Dasherkandi, in the capital, Dhaka WASA signs a contract with HydroChina Corporation yesterday at a city hotel. Dhaka WASA Managing Director Engr. Taqsem A Khan and HydroChina Corporation Vice President Chen Guanfu sign the contract on behalf of their respective organisations.
Among others, Akram Al Hossain, Additional Secretary of Local Govt. Division, LGRD and Cooperatives Ministry was present as Guest of Honour, where Mohammad Shahjahan Khan, Director of DCCI and Member of Dhaka WASA Board, Journalist Abdul Jalil Bhuiyan, General Secretary of Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ) and Member of Dhaka WASA Board were also present as guests. Engr. Taqsem A Khan presided over the ceremony.
In a bid to ensure sewerage service to city dwellers Dhaka WASA has taken the project titled Dasherkandi Sewage Treatment Plant Project’ at Dasherkandi in the capital. The project, jointly financed by EXIM Bank of China, Bangladesh Govt. and Dhaka WASA, will be completed by 2019 at the cost of Tk 3317 crores.
With Dasherkandi plant, sewage waste of Gulshan, Banani, Baridhara, Bashundhara, Niketan, Mohakhali, DOHS, Tejgaon, Eskaton, Kolabagan, Hatirjheel and a part of Dhanmondhi will be covered. The feasible study for Uttara and Mirpur has been continuing and expected to be ended by December this year.
It is notable that Dhaka WASA currently has a capacity of providing sewerage service to 30 percent area of Dhaka city. To ensure the service Dhaka WASA has formulated a Sewerage Master Plan. As per the master plan, with upgrading the existing Pagla Sewage Treatment Plant, a total of four more sewage treatment plants—Dasherkandi, Uttara, Mirpur and Rayerbazar– will be constructed around Dhaka city in phases.
HydroChina Vice President Chen Guanfo said that they were inspired by recent success stories of Dhaka WASA. He hoped that his organsation will pay the utmost effort to construct the best sewage plant infrastructure for Dasherkandi.
Engr. Taqsem A Khan in his speech said, with bold and effective initiatives and efforts Dhaka WASA has been capable of producing surplus water. Due to environmental aspect Dhaka WASA is shifting to surface water source reducing dependency on underground water. That’s why three mega surface water supply project have already been taken. Purifying the water of the Padma and Meghna river, a total of 140 crores liter of water would be supplied daily after completion of that three projects, he said.
Taqsem Khan mentioned that various donor agencies were coming forward to invest in Dhaka WASA due to various successes by the agency’s transparent and dynamic management. He also said that water utility agencies of various SAARC countries were also taking experiences and the success stories of Dhaka WASA to apply that in their respective countries.
However, he said that despite having success stories in water supply, Dhaka WASA has many things to do in sewerage sector. The reform and improvement work of Pagla Sewage Treatment Plant will be started early 2016 and after completion of the rest four sewage plants in phases, the city dwellers will get modern sewage facilities in the capital.
Deputy Managing Director (Research, Planning and Development) Md Serajuddin and Dasherkandi Project Director Md. Mohsen Ali Miah also spoke in the signing ceremony among others.
