CHATTOGRAM, Jan 14: The 60 MLD Bhandaljhuri Water Supply Project (BJWSP) of Chattogram WASA went into operation in the first week of January. However, the authorities of Chattogram WASA suspended production due to a lack of demand in the southern region of Chattogram district.
The trial operation of the project was successfully carried out from November to 18 December, enabling CWASA to ensure full capacity production.
"The operation of the project began in the first week of January," said Mahbubul Alam, Director of the project. However, they were forced to shut down production due to low demand. Initially, they supplied one lakh litres of water to Chattogram Urea Fertilizer Limited (CUFL), which subsequently shut down. As a result, the production of the WASA project remained suspended.
The authorities are making efforts to supply water to the Korean EPZ, along with several hundred new domestic connections in the area.
"The production capacity of Chattogram WASA will increase to 560 million litres per day (MLD) with the beginning of the 60 MLD Bhandaljhuri Water Supply Project," he said. Presently, CWASA is producing 500 MLD.
The construction works of the Bhandaljhuri Project include transmission pipelines, distribution pipelines, Patiya Pump Station with an elevated tank, and KEPZ Pump Station with a reservoir. The water plant project, which includes a 60-kilometre water transmission line, a water treatment plant, and two water reservoirs, will generate approximately 60 million litres of water daily.
Under the project, a 66 MLD capacity intake facility, a 60 MLD water treatment plant, 133.30 kilometres of pipelines, and reservoirs for storage have been constructed. The facilities include an underground reservoir in Anwara with a capacity of 10,000 cubic metres and an overhead reservoir in Patiya with a capacity of 3,000 cubic metres.
A total of 75 per cent of the water will be supplied to Chattogram south district areas, including Patiya, Anwara, Karnaphuli, and Boalkhali upazilas from the project.
The ECNEC approved the Bhandaljhuri Water Supply Project (BJWSP) on 5 January 2016. The Korean Exim Bank is financing the project with a soft loan from the resources of the Economic Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF). The main objectives of this project are to provide safe water for domestic and non-domestic use by developing a water supply system at the left bank of the river Karnaphuli, to secure a sustainable source of water, and to improve livelihoods, thus promoting economic development through the provision of safe drinking water. The project aims to meet the increasing water demands of industries and residential areas on the south bank of the Karnaphuli River.
Of the 60 MLD of water produced, 50 million litres will be allocated to fertiliser factories like Karnaphuli Fertilizer Company Limited (KAFCO), Chittagong Urea Fertilizer Limited (CUFL), and Di-Ammonium Phosphate (DAP) Fertilizer Company, along with industrial zones such as the Chinese Economic Zone and Korean Export Processing Zone, and tourism hubs. CUFL has requested 20 MLD, KAFCO 10.5 MLD, DAP fertiliser factory 1.2 MLD, and the China Economic Zone and Korean Economic Zone 30 MLD and 20 MLD, respectively.
Additionally, nearly 15,000 residential connections will receive around 10 million litres daily. "Supply to 600-700 residential customers will begin initially, and production will gradually increase based on demand," Mahbubul Alam added.
Under the Local Government Division, CWASA has implemented the "Bhandaljhuri Water Supply Project-Supplementary Loan" through the Economic Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF), Korea. The initial size of the funding from Korea for this project was $97 million. With this additional financing, total foreign assistance for this project will increase to $137 million. After the initiation of ERD, the Korean government responded quickly by supporting this project through the "Bhandaljhuri Water Supply Project-Supplementary Loan" with an amount of $47 million as a soft loan. The rate of interest under the loan is 0.01% and the maturity period is 40 years, including a grace period of 15 years.
The scheduled date for completion of the project had earlier been extended by three years in the ECNEC meeting till June 2023.
It has again been extended for one year to June 2024. Currently, it has been extended to June 2025. The ECNEC approved the Bhandaljhuri Water Supply Project, 1st revised, with an additional cost of Taka 958.85 crore. As a result, the total cost of the project has increased to Taka 1,995 crore.
