Rajshahi Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (RWASA) has taken the decision to supply drinkable water to hundred per cent of people in the city and its adjacent areas through a treatment plant by 2027.
RWASA sources said they have adopted a mega plan to ensure water quality coupled with meeting the water deficit. Upon successful implementation of the project by 2027, 20 crore litres of water will be purified every day.
The drinkable water will be supplied to the people of Rajshahi city and its surrounding Naohata and Katakhali pourashava.
RWASA Chief Engineer Parvez Mamud said the treatment plant will be installed at the Sarangpur area adjacent to the Padma River under Godagari upazila around 26 kilometres off the Rajshahi city to clean and purify the river water.
A delegation of the project-implementing Chinese company has been working at the site.
Engineer Mamud said the Hunan Construction Engineering Group of the company has been implementing the Taka 4,062 crore project.
Chief Engineer Mamud said daily water demand in the city is around 130 MLD at present and 98.037 MLD water is being abstracted from underground through pumps, while nine MLD from surface water totalling 107.04 MLD water to meet the demands.
He said they are supplying 10.70 crore litres of water daily to over 6.44 lakh populations through 110 production pumps and an 859-kilometre pipeline network.
They have already signed an agreement with the Chinese company to implement the project--to increase the surface-level water supply by reducing Rajshahi's dependence on groundwater.
Required lands were acquired through the district administration for implementing the project.
Another project styled "Water Supply System Rehabilitation in Rajshahi City Project" is also being implemented aimed at improving the life standard of the people through supplying safe water during the interim period.
RWASA Managing Director Zakir Hossain said the Sharengpur site has been selected after assessing its water availability around the year. Before the selection, the Institute of Water Modeling (IWM) conducted a feasibility study on 40 years of water statistics.
There will be no water deficit in the city when the project is implemented. After meeting the water demands in the city the RWASA will be able to supply drinkable water to the adjacent two pourashava.
RWASA is always committed to maintaining integrity in all its service delivery activities particularly water supply for the betterment of the service recipients.
Managing Director Zakir Hossain said they are persistently working with the vision of establishing a sustainable and smart water management system by ensuring transparency, accountability and participation of all stakeholders.
He said there is a need for enhancing water tariffs for proper adjustment between earnings and expenditures. As an autonomous and state-owned entity, the RWASA has to be self-dependent through increasing revenue earning.
Zakir Hossain mentioned that they earned revenues worth Taka 15.32 crore till June last against the expenditure of Taka 20.67 crore annually.
He, however, said they have no intention to increase financial pressure on the clients in general but they have to reduce the existing gap between the earning-expenditure ratios.
Mr Hossain sought the cooperation of the city dwellers to mitigate the problem as they have a vital role towards the proper functioning of the water-supplying body.
