Locals surround Ctg Wasa office protesting water crisis
Wasa authorities assured that the supply would be restored by this evening
Locals gathered in front of the Chattogram Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (Wasa) office today (11 March) and staged a siege programme demanding an immediate resolution of the water crisis in the city.
Around 11:30am, more than a hundred people participated in the demonstration at the Dampara office, chanting slogans against the irregular water supply.
Protesters claimed that water shortages had been ongoing in several areas for a long time, but the situation worsened during Ramadan.
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"We are not getting water regularly. Since Saturday, the pipeline has been damaged, cutting off our supply. Frequent pipeline bursts have left us struggling," said Sirajul Islam, a resident of Dhaniyalapara.
Another protester, Md Rafiq, expressed frustration, saying, "For a long time, our homes, mosques, madrassas, schools, colleges, and businesses have been suffering due to an unbearable water crisis. WASA's water supply issues have become synonymous with hardship. We demand a solution."
Water supply disrupted in over 18 areas
According to Wasa, the crisis began on 8 March at around 8pm, when a contractor accidentally damaged the main transmission line during development work by the Power Grid Company of Bangladesh (PGCB) in the Sagarika area of the city.
As a result, at least 18 areas, including Agrabad, faced a complete water supply shutdown.
Wasa's chief engineer, Maksud Alam, said, "A pipeline about 15 feet underground was damaged, affecting water supply in nearby areas. Repair work is underway, and we are working to restore normal water flow as soon as possible."
Assurance of solution by evening
During the protest, the demonstrators submitted a memorandum to Wasa's Managing Director Mohammad Anwar Pasha, demanding an immediate solution.
In response, Wasa authorities apologised for the inconvenience and assured that the supply would be restored by this evening.
"Our 1,100mm transmission line in Sagarika was damaged during PGCB's project work, disrupting supply in several areas, including Dhaniyalapara and Dewanhat," said Anwar Pasha.
"Unfortunately, this is the second major pipeline damage in a short time—just four days before Ramadan, we faced a similar issue that took nearly a week to fix. Now, another rupture has occurred. However, we are hopeful that the repairs will be completed by this evening, gradually restoring the water supply," he added.
