16 Ctg areas without water as Wasa supply line damaged
The damage occurred during a canal excavation project by CDA to mitigate waterlogging
Highlights
- Water treatment plant shut for 54 hours
- It supplies 14.3 crore litres of drinking water daily
- Water supply of 16 areas in Ctg city affected
- Main transmission line damaged
- Canal excavation project of CDA caused the damage
- Tk45.76 lakh estimated loss for 24-hr closure of plant
- Repair cost of main supply line: Tk20 lakh
Water supply to 16 areas in Chattogram has remained suspended since Monday afternoon after the main transmission line of Wasa suffered damage at Ananya Residential area in the port city.
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The damage occurred during a canal excavation project undertaken by the Chattogram Development Authority (CDA) to mitigate the port city's waterlogging, according to a notice issued by Chattogram Wasa on 18 February.
According to Ctg Wasa sources, during a canal excavation project on Monday, the transmission line was accidentally damaged, disrupting the water supply.
The affected pipeline, which has a diameter of 1,200mm and spans 9km, plays a critical role in the city's water distribution network, sources reported.
The Karnaphuli Water Treatment Plant-1 in Rangunia upazila supplies 14.3 crore litres of drinking water daily to the Nasirabad reservoir via this transmission line. From there, water is distributed to several parts of the city, including Lalkhan Bazar and Oxygen. The disruption has caused severe inconvenience to residents in these areas.
As of 10pm last night, the disruption of water supply continued.
Impact and estimated losses
According to Ctg Wasa sources, Ctg Wasa produces 56 crore litres of water daily across its various treatment plants, including the affected one.
Recently, a new water treatment plant was inaugurated in Boalkhali Upazila, adding an additional 6 crore litres of purified water daily, primarily supplying upazilas near Chattogram city, including Karnaphuli and Patiya.
The repair cost for the damaged pipeline is estimated at Tk20 lakh, while Chattogram Wasa is expected to incur a loss of Tk45.76 lakh due to the 24-hour water supply disruption. This loss will continue to rise with each additional day of disruption, according to Ctg Wasa.
Repair efforts
Chattogram Wasa has initiated welding work to fix the holes in the pipeline. Chief Engineer Maksud Alam stated, "We are welding the holes in the pipeline. If successful, the pipeline will be fixed by 19 February. Otherwise, restoring it will take longer."
Meanwhile, Ctg Wasa has sought compensation from the army's engineering brigade, the agency responsible for executing CDA's canal excavation project.
The disruption has raised concerns about coordination between different government agencies to prevent such incidents in the future.
