Legal tangle, stuck boring machine delay South Ctg’s access to Wasa water
A tunnel boring machine used to lay pipelines along the Karnaphuli riverbed got stuck onshore in October 2023. The machine was lodged 78 feet deep near the shore after excavating 202 metres of the 262-metre river crossing
Residents and businesses in South Chattogram will have to wait at least six more months for access to Chattogram Wasa water due to a delay caused by a legal dispute and a mishap in the project undertaken to install the supply.
A tunnel boring machine used to lay pipelines along the Karnaphuli riverbed got stuck onshore in October 2023. The machine was lodged 78 feet deep near the shore after excavating 202 metres of the 262-metre river crossing.
The Bhandal-Juri Water Supply Project – aimed at bringing piped water to four upazilas outside the port city – was expected to be completed by June 2024. The upazilas are Anwara, Boalkhali, Patiya, and Karnaphuli.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
The project, approved in 2015, experienced delays in its initial construction phase, starting in October 2020. Due to the extended timeline, the project's cost has also ballooned from its initial budget of Tk1,036.30 crore to Tk1,994.14 crore.
Of this, Tk1,224 crore has been financed by the Economic Development Cooperation Fund of the Korean Exim Bank, Tk750.14 crore by the Bangladesh government, and Tk20 crore by Chattogram Wasa.
Stuck machine and stalemate over a pond
The boring machine is currently stuck under the mosque of Ahediya Madrasa in Shikalbaha of Karnaphuli upazila. To remove the machine, the mosque was demolished with the promise of reconstruction. It all delayed the project by at least six months, according to officials involved with the work.
Additionally, a madrasa pond had to be filled to accommodate heavy machinery, with plans for re-excavation later.
While the permission to fill the pond was obtained from the Zilla Parishad, the madrasa authorities filed a case with a Chattogram court, claiming ownership of the pond, halting further progress on removing the boring machine.
Despite the setback, project officials are optimistic about resuming work.
Mohammad Mahabubul Alam, project director and supervising engineer of Chattogram Wasa, said, "Efforts are being made to continue the work by reaching an agreement between the two parties. The project deadline is being extended by one year, to June 2025."
As of March, the project was 90% physically complete and 81.54% financially. The project includes a water treatment plant, intake points, a network of pipelines, and reservoirs.
Increased water capacity and industrial benefits
Upon completion, the Bhandal-Juri project will significantly increase Chattogram Wasa's water production capacity by 12%, bringing it to 56 crore litres daily. Over 1.5 to 2 lakh people in the four upazilas will gain access to clean water through an estimated 15,000 new connections.
The project will also benefit industries in the Karnaphuli left bank, including the Korean Export Processing Zone, Chittagong Urea Fertiliser Limited, and Karnaphuli Fertiliser Company Limited, by providing a reliable source of water, particularly during the dry season when salinity levels in the Karnaphuli River rise.
Project Director Mohammad Mahabubul Alam said, "We hope to supply water by December of this year if the complications are resolved. We are currently accepting applications for consumer-level connections."
Chattogram Wasa Managing Director AKM Fazlullah told The Business Standard, "The project will reduce dependence on groundwater for people in the area. Various industrial establishments on the banks of the Karnaphuli will meet their necessary demand."
Chattogram Wasa currently has a total of 88,771 connections, with 82,642 residential and 6,129 commercial. Wasa water has yet to reach about 40% of the city's population.
