Ctg's water paradox: New Tk1,995cr plant underutilised while port city thirsts

Infograph: TBS

Chattogram is facing a puzzling water crisis where the newly commissioned Bhandaljuri Water Treatment Plant, a Tk1,995-crore facility, runs at one-fourth capacity despite severe water shortages affecting over a million residents.

The plant, located on the southern bank of the Karnaphuli River, is capable of delivering 60 million litres of clean water daily, yet the Chattogram Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (Wasa) struggles to find enough customers to utilise its capacity.

Adding to the irony, if Chattogram Wasa had a plan to connect this new plant to the main water supply line on the other side of the river, the unused water could have been used to help reduce the city's ongoing water crisis.

High ambitions, disappointing results 

Funded by the Korean Exim Bank, the Government of Bangladesh, and Chattogram Wasa itself, the Bhandaljuri project was designed to revolutionise water distribution in the southern industrial belt and reduce pressure on urban supplies.

Commissioned in November 2023, the plant was expected to supply 40 million litres per day (MLD) to 13 industrial zones— Commissioned in November 2023, the plant was expected to supply 40 million litres per day (MLD) to 13 industrial zones, including the Korean EPZ, China Economic Zone, Chittagong Urea Fertilizer Limited, Karnaphuli Fertilizer Company Limited—and 20 MLD to residential areas in Boalkhali and Patiya.

However, eight months since the inauguration, it now distributes only 15 MLD. Operations at its largest consumer, Chittagong Urea Fertilizer Limited, have halted due to a gas crisis, suspending water intake.

"We are now supplying water only to about 1,500 residential users in Patiya," said Md Mahbubul Alam, project director of the Bhandaljuri Water Treatment Plant and a superintending engineer at Chattogram Wasa. While discussions are ongoing with China EPZ and DAP Fertilizer Company, current low demand has prevented Chattogram Wasa from fully activating the plant.

A case of flawed planning?

Industry insiders and experts point to flawed planning and insufficient feasibility assessments as reasons for the plant's poor performance.

 Approved in January 2016 with an initial budget of Tk1,036 crore, the project was delayed due to land acquisition issues and only started physical work in September 2019. Subsequent revisions in 2020 and 2023 saw the cost balloon to Tk1,995.15 crore and the deadline extended.

By the time the lack of customer demand was fully realised, over half of the construction was already completed.

"We began to understand midway that this might become a loss project," said a senior Chattogram Wasa official. "But by then, it was too late. Over 50% of the infrastructure was done, and reversing the decision was not feasible."

Cultural and structural challenges 

Chattogram Wasa officials highlight cultural and behaviouralfactors in rural southern areas as obstacles to higher demand. "People in these areas still rely heavily on deep tube wells," said Mahbubul Alam. "They are not yet ready to pay for piped water from Wasa. It will take time for the demand to grow."

He added that the project was designed with an 80% commercial and 20% residential supply target, expecting demand to increase gradually with industrial and population growth.

However, critics argue that more thorough demand assessments and customer commitment should have been included in early feasibility studies instead of relying on verbal interests.

Looking forward 

Despite the slow start, officials remain hopeful the Bhandaljuriplant will one day operate at full capacity. Until industries expand and residents in the south shift from traditional water sources, the plant will continue running well below its potential.

This striking contrast—millions of litres of treated water sitting unused while over a million city residents go thirsty—raises urgent questions about infrastructure planning, governance, and accountability in public utility management. The challenge now is whether Chattogram will learn from this costly experience before investing in future major projects.

Urban water crisis worsens

Meanwhile, residents of Chattogram city continue to suffer acute water shortages, especially during the hot summer months. 

The city's four existing water treatment plants have a combined capacity of 500 MLD, which falls far short of the actual demand, resulting in irregular and inadequate supply that hits low-income households hardest.

A recent study by Dushtha Shasthya Kendra, WaterAid, and the Global Center on Adaptation found that about 1.4 million people in 435 low-income communities across Chattogram lack access to clean water and sanitation. 

Most rely on shared water points far from their homes, placing a heavy burden on women and girls responsible for water collection.

The study also noted that 65.25% of residents depend on deep tube wells and 14.17% on shallow tube wells, often contaminated with high salinity and iron, making the water unsafe for drinking.