Shift Sayedabad intake unit from Sarulia to Meghna for safe water

The committee was formed about two years ago at the directive of Prime Minister Khaleda Zia.

The committee in its strategic plan for improvement of Dhaka city environment observed that the mistake that was done during selection of intake point at Sarulia would repeat if the proposed two other phases of Sayedabad Treatment Plant were implemented without solving the ammonia problem.

Tap here to add The Daily Star as a trusted source

It said that in the absence of any land use and zoning regulation, the increased trend of urbanisation and industrialisation across the Sitalakhya, Balu and Turag basins will further contaminate the Sitalakhya a water and aggravate the ammonia problem in near future.

John A Carter, technical advisor of Bangladesh Environment Management Programme (BEMP) and a key person in preparing the plan, said, excessive ammonia level and algae in Sitalakhya river reducing the effectiveness of treatment at Sayedabad plant particularly during the period from October to April.

The ammonia released from adjacent industries has severely polluted Begunbari and Norai canals affecting the water intake at Sarulia and posing serious health hazards for the people of Dhaka, he said.

The strategic plan prepared with the support of government and Canada International Development Agency (CIDA) also suggested the government for constructing a wetland near Trimohoni for treatment of wastewater of Tejgaon industrial and Gulshan areas.

The technical committee in a short term vision proposed the government to move the Sarulia intake unit to further north from the existing point, hopefully beyond the limit of high ammonia levels, DoE sources said.

"But there is a risk that this is a short-term patch; water quality will continue to deteriorate in the Sitalakhya river over the next few years, needing an effective long-term solution," it said.

The shifting cost of the water intake unit at 17 km away in Meghna river from the existing point will be around 96.85 lakh US dollar as estimated by the technical committee, which is almost equal to the budget for Sayedabad Water Treatment Plant Phase II and III, said Syed M Iqbal Ali, Environment Management Specialist of BEMP and member of the technical committee.

The operational expenses of the intake unit, capable to accommodate 900,000 m3 water a day will not be more than the existing operational budget of Dhaka Wasa for Sarulia intake unit, he said. Apparently the total investment for its transfer, may be assumed as "very expensive," he added. But in long-term vision, the cost will be only 20 US dollar per capita, he noted.

The committee in its report proposed the government for complete shifting of the water supply system from ground water to surface water by next 20 years taking into account the rapid depletion of ground water and its effect on the ecological system of the growing Dhaka city, projected as the second largest city in the world by 2015 in the population growth report of the United Nations, Iqbal added.