Sewerage treatment plant gets go-ahead

The Dasherkandi Sewerage Treatment Plant project with an outlay of Tk3,317.77 crore aiming to build improved sewerage facilities for the growing number of city dwellers got the government go-ahead yesterday, reports UNB. The approval was given at the 5th Ecnec meeting of the current fiscal year held at the National Economic Council conference room yesterday. Briefing reporters, Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal said the main objective of ‘Dasherkandi Sewerage Treatment Plant’ project is to treat the sewages of the area through modern method alongside protecting the environment of the area and the adjacent Hatirjheel project area. Dhaka Wasa, under the Local Government Division, will implement the project by December 2019. Of the total project cost of Tk 3,317.77 crore, Tk 1123.77 crore will come from the national exchequer, Tk 2,184 crore as project assistance from China Exim Bank while Tk 10 crore from the organisation’s own fund, he said. Under the project, the sewerage treatment plant would be built at Khilgaon in the capital with a capacity of treating 500 million liters of sewage a day alongside constructing one sewage lifting station. The Planning Minster said that with the lone sewerage treatment plant at Pagla under Kadamtali thana by the Dhaka Wasa, it is possible to give sewerage facilities to only 20 percent of the city dwellers. But, considering the growing demand, Dhaka Wasa has recently framed a Master Plan with support from the World Bank where it was suggested to set up 11 sewerage treatment plants in the city.
Besides, 60 acres of land have been acquired at Khilgaon for constructing a plant. Currently, the sewages of the proposed area is being drained to the River Shitalakhya through the River Balu without any treatment.
As a result, taking raw water for the Sayedabad Water Treatment Plant from the Sitalakhya River has turned unsafe. Local Government and Rural Development (LGRD) Ministry undertook the project at a cost of $280 million (equivalent to about Tk 3317 crore) to treat the sewerage water of major parts of Dhaka city that has now been falling in the Balu River through Hatirjheel project. The sewerage waters of Dhaka city’s Dhanmondi, Kalabagan, Gulshan, Banani, Baridhara, Bashundhara, Mohakhali, DOHS, Tejgaon, Moghbazar, Eskaton, Niketon, Aftabnagar and Badda areas are now pouring into the Balu River through the Hatirjheel project.