Jica to provide support to Ctg Wasa for capacity improvement, sustainability

Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) signed a technical cooperation agreement with the government of Bangladesh on the 'Project for Improvement of Management Capacity of Chattogram Water Supply and Sewerage Authority' on 15 January.

The project aims to enhance Chattogram Wasa's capacity to improve its service delivery, strategic project planning, and financial management, said a press release.

Jica has a longstanding commitment to collaborating with Bangladesh in the Water Supply and Sanitation sector, especially in Chattogram. 

The agreement was signed by MIURA Mari, senior representative, Jica Bangladesh Office; AKM Shahabuddin, additional secretary, Economic Relations Division; AHM Kamruzzaman, joint secretary, Local Government Division, Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives; and AKM Fazlullah, managing director, Chattogram Water Supply and Sewerage Authority. 

Chattogram city, the second largest city in Bangladesh, with a population of around seven million, has historically relied heavily on groundwater for drinking water. Jica's support to Chattogram city began in 2003 with an engineering study in response to the severe drinking water crisis in the city. 

The initiative identified the need to develop surface water sources and enhance the institutional capacity of Chattogram Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (CWASA) to address its growing population. 

Over the years, Jica has supported CWASA in mitigating the water crisis, focusing on water supply capacity development and reducing non-revenue water. Jica's supported water treatment plants supply 286 million litres daily, meeting about 60% of Chattogram city's demand. Jica has also conducted surveys in its sewerage sector.

CWASA's services for safe water supply have improved tremendously. However, further work is needed to provide more clean water and serve its growing population. The new technical cooperation is expected to maximise the benefit of CWASA's services and transform CWASA into a sustainable water sanitation service provider of international standards. 

This new project for CWASA focuses on improving financial management, water treatment plant operation, non-revenue water reduction, customer communication, and inter-Wasa collaboration. Through these, the project aims to enhance CWASA's overall management capacity, ensuring sustainable and efficient water services.