Criminals block Ctg Wasa chemical vehicles demanding money

Local extortionists have blocked the unloading of chemicals from chemical-laden vehicles of Sheikh Hasina Water Treatment Plant of Chattogram Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (Wasa) demanding money, jeopardising water supply to the port city.

In Rangunia, two projects (Project-1 and Project-2) under the plant supply 223 million litres of water per day to Chattogram city, which is 60% of the total water supply of Chattogram Wasa.

Maksud Alam, chief engineer of Chattogram Wasa and director of the Sheikh Hasina plant, said four vehicles carrying chemical lime, elm and chlorine that are used to purify water reached the plant in Pomra area of ​​Rangunia on Monday night from Narayanganj.

"But workers were barred by some local criminals from unloading the goods in the morning. We have already informed the local police about the matter," he said. 

Water supply to 60 lakh city dwellers remains at risk as the chemical-laden vehicles have been stuck since Tuesday morning.

At 4:30pm on Tuesday, about 10 hours after the incident, Rangunia Police Station Officer-in-Charge Mahbub Milky told The Business Standard, "Being informed by an official at the Sheikh Hasina plant, we are on the way to the spot."

Gias Uddin Masud, in-charge of unloading the chemicals, said, "Out of the four vehicles, we unloaded chemicals from two in the early hours of the day. We could not unload the two others as some young men stopped us."

An official of Chattogram Wasa, wishing to be unnamed, told The Business Standard Sayeed Mahmud Rony, a resident of Pomra, along with some local terrorists, blocked the vehicles and demanded money.

When contacted, Rony, who identified himself as a local political leader, said he does not know anything about blocking Wasa's vehicles.

He also said he had no involvement in any such incident.