Five more sewer treatment plants planned for city

Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (Wasa) has taken an initiative to set up five sewer treatment plants to improve sewerage facilities in the city.

The move aims at bringing the entire city under sewerage treatment coverage by 2025, Dhaka Wasa Managing Director Taqsem A Khan said at a seminar at the office of Bangladesh Water Development Board yesterday.

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Currently, less than 20 percent of the city is under the coverage.

Sewerage treatment plants would be set up in Pagla, Dasherkandi, Uttara, Mirpur and Rayerbazar.

There is also a plan to construct another 11 new sewage treatment plants along with pipelines and other structures and develop Pagla Sewerage Treatment Plant, the Dhaka Wasa chief said.

The seminar was organised by Bangladesh National Committee of ICID with the assistance of Bangladesh Water Development Board, Institute of Water Modelling and Centre for Geographical Information Service. 

Prof Mujibur Rahman of Bangladesh University of Engineering Technology said wastewater contains a number of pollutants and contaminants that can cause health, environment and economic hazards.

Bangladesh faced a loss of $9 billion in 2014-2015 fiscal year due to environmental pollution while it was $1.5 billion due to water pollution in Dhaka, he said.

“Globally, over 80 percent wastewater generated by society flows back into the ecosystem without being treated or reused. Unsafe waste water, poor sanitation and hygiene cause around 842,000 deaths each year,” he said.

Quoting studies, Mujibur said an estimated 30 percent of wastewater is released untreated in high income countries while it is 62 to 72 percent in middle income countries and 92 percent in low-income countries like Bangladesh.

State Minister for Water Resources Ministry Muhammad Nazrul Islam addressed the seminar as the chief guest.

Among others, Mohammad Mahmudur Rahman, director of Bangladesh Joint River Commission, Anowar Hossain, executive director of IWM and Sharif Jamil, joint secretary of Bangladesh Paribesh Andolon, also spoke.