Barishal Correspondent :
One of the two surface water treatment plants started trial operation after six years of construction, but another one under threat of speedy river erosion.
Two Surface Water Treatment Plants (SWTP) at Ruptali (RSWTP) and another at Beltola (BSWTP) in southern and northern parts of the city constructed in 2012.
The construction works were planned by public health Department (PHED) in 2009-2010 fiscal and started at the cost of Tk 27 core for BSWTP and Tk 24 core for RSWTP with total capacity for supplying per day 3.6 lakh liter drinking water to the citizens.
Construction works of those plants were completed in 2012.
According to a MOU signed between Barishal City Corporation (BCC) and PHED it was decided that after six month trial operation the plant would be handed over to BCC.
However trial operation and handover of the plants was delayed due to lack of electricity supply.
Tag of war for realizing taka 30 core arrear electricity supply bill of Barishal City Corporation (BCC), West Zone Power Distribution Company (WZPDCO), denied supplying electricity to the plants and so starting operations of the plants were delayed.
Then after a negotiation with the help of district administration and paying Tk one core as first installment by BCC, electricity connections were given to the plants by WZPDCO mid of this year.
Rupatali Surface Water Treatment Plant started trial operation on April of last fiscal, but Beltala Surface Water Treatment Plant failed to start trials due to speedy erosion of Kirtankhola River in area.
So RSWTP succeeded to start trial operation, but threat of river erosion barred BSWTP from starting trial operation even after getting power supply.
However advancing speedy erosion of Kirtonkhola River already eroded guide wall, walkway, first water reserving tank, major parts of laboratory building and pump house made the BSWTP at the verge of extinction.
The erosion also damaging main pipeline, switch-bulb, inner roads, drains cracked water preservers, and severely threatening existence of total BSWTP plant, Omar Faruq, executive engineer of water supply department of BCC said.
We sent a letter to Local Government and Rural Development Ministry (LGRD), narrating present condition of Beltala Surface Water Treatment Plant (BSWTP) asking our duties in this situation.
Then LGRD Ministry formed six-member evaluation committee led by joint secretary of urban planning-1.
The Committee asked us to take over BSWTP project as per contract with PHED.
We also informed them about the river erosion and also requested WDB to take emergency step for checking river erosion, the BCC executive engineer told.
Mainul Islam, executive engineer of public health engineering department (PHED) said river erosion is a natural disaster and we have nothing to do with that except informing WDB about the condition.
As per schedule after running six-month trial, our contractor will hand over that to PHED and then we shall hand over the plant to BCC for regular operation.
Trial operation of RSWTP plant at Rupatli on same river bank in southern part of the city running since April 2018. But the other one BSWTP at Beltala in northern part of the city yet not started due to threat of river erosion, he added.
Syed Abu Naser, executive engineer of water development board (WDB) said we informed about the erosion situation.
Official formalities of a special project at the cost of Tk. 331 core has already been taken to prevent and control Kirtankhola River erosion at 4.5 km long areas from BSWTP to Charbaia area by constructing protection-embankment. It would be started on October 2018 and implemented by Bangladesh Navy, he added.
One of the two surface water treatment plants started trial operation after six years of construction, but another one under threat of speedy river erosion.
Two Surface Water Treatment Plants (SWTP) at Ruptali (RSWTP) and another at Beltola (BSWTP) in southern and northern parts of the city constructed in 2012.
The construction works were planned by public health Department (PHED) in 2009-2010 fiscal and started at the cost of Tk 27 core for BSWTP and Tk 24 core for RSWTP with total capacity for supplying per day 3.6 lakh liter drinking water to the citizens.
Construction works of those plants were completed in 2012.
According to a MOU signed between Barishal City Corporation (BCC) and PHED it was decided that after six month trial operation the plant would be handed over to BCC.
However trial operation and handover of the plants was delayed due to lack of electricity supply.
Tag of war for realizing taka 30 core arrear electricity supply bill of Barishal City Corporation (BCC), West Zone Power Distribution Company (WZPDCO), denied supplying electricity to the plants and so starting operations of the plants were delayed.
Then after a negotiation with the help of district administration and paying Tk one core as first installment by BCC, electricity connections were given to the plants by WZPDCO mid of this year.
Rupatali Surface Water Treatment Plant started trial operation on April of last fiscal, but Beltala Surface Water Treatment Plant failed to start trials due to speedy erosion of Kirtankhola River in area.
So RSWTP succeeded to start trial operation, but threat of river erosion barred BSWTP from starting trial operation even after getting power supply.
However advancing speedy erosion of Kirtonkhola River already eroded guide wall, walkway, first water reserving tank, major parts of laboratory building and pump house made the BSWTP at the verge of extinction.
The erosion also damaging main pipeline, switch-bulb, inner roads, drains cracked water preservers, and severely threatening existence of total BSWTP plant, Omar Faruq, executive engineer of water supply department of BCC said.
We sent a letter to Local Government and Rural Development Ministry (LGRD), narrating present condition of Beltala Surface Water Treatment Plant (BSWTP) asking our duties in this situation.
Then LGRD Ministry formed six-member evaluation committee led by joint secretary of urban planning-1.
The Committee asked us to take over BSWTP project as per contract with PHED.
We also informed them about the river erosion and also requested WDB to take emergency step for checking river erosion, the BCC executive engineer told.
Mainul Islam, executive engineer of public health engineering department (PHED) said river erosion is a natural disaster and we have nothing to do with that except informing WDB about the condition.
As per schedule after running six-month trial, our contractor will hand over that to PHED and then we shall hand over the plant to BCC for regular operation.
Trial operation of RSWTP plant at Rupatli on same river bank in southern part of the city running since April 2018. But the other one BSWTP at Beltala in northern part of the city yet not started due to threat of river erosion, he added.
Syed Abu Naser, executive engineer of water development board (WDB) said we informed about the erosion situation.
Official formalities of a special project at the cost of Tk. 331 core has already been taken to prevent and control Kirtankhola River erosion at 4.5 km long areas from BSWTP to Charbaia area by constructing protection-embankment. It would be started on October 2018 and implemented by Bangladesh Navy, he added.
