Beza plans seawater desalination to quench Bangabandhu Shilpanagar's thirst

• Fresh water demand to be 364m litres per day in 2025, 1,033 in 2040
• Beza installed 50 deep tubewells to supply fresh water
• Process ongoing to install 150km pipeline to supply 500m litres daily
• Water treatment plant to be establish; capacity: 50m litres daily
• Beza now focuses on seawater desalination project with a capacity of 30m litres
• Water cost could be higher in BSNMSN than other industrial zones

The Bangladesh Economic Zone Authority (Beza) aims to combat the freshwater crisis in the country's largest industrial zone, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Shilpanagar in Chattogram, by implementing seawater desalination, in the wake of drop in groundwater levels and increasing salinity in the water sources in the region caused by climate change.

Abdullah Al Mahmud Faruk, project director of the Bangabandhu Shilpanagar Development Project, told The Business Standard that the process of hiring consultants and obtaining the survey report for the feasibility study of the desalination project is expected to take around one and a half years. The subsequent steps in the project will be determined based on the findings outlined in the survey report.

Initially, Beza plans to construct a water treatment plant capable of desalinating 30 million litres per day. The water for this process will be sourced from the Sandwip channel of the Bay of Bengal in the Mirsarai region of Chattogram.

For this purpose, on 14 November, Beza authorities initiated a tender process for the selection of consultants to conduct a feasibility study titled "Feasibility for Establishing Desalination Plant at BSMSN".

The tender for the desalination study has identified three key priorities – assessing the current water supply system of the industrial city, understanding the necessity and anticipating future challenges of the desalination plant, and outlining a suitable framework for the Public Private Partnership model – to implement the desalination plant.

Spanning across 30,000 acres of land in Mirsarai, Sitakunda, and Sonagazi upazilas of Chattogram, the Bangabandhu Shilpanagar has witnessed the commencement of commercial production in 8 industrial units. Additionally, 21 industries are currently under construction, and two more companies are progressing towards their goal of initiating production within the next four months.

Currently, the freshwater requirements for the operational industrial units within the industrial zone are being fulfilled through 50 deep tubewells.

The authorities are also working on other projects including establishing a water treatment plant with a daily capacity of 50 million litres, and laying a 150km pipeline from the estuary of Padma-Meghna-Dakatia rivers in Chandpur to provide a daily water supply of 500 million litres.

However, officials say Beza is trying to cancel the Chandpur project due to concerns about future sustainability and potential increases in water costs.

According to the Bangabandhu Industrial Zone master plan, the projected untreated water demand for the entire industrial area is estimated to be 364 million litres per day in 2025, 516 million litres in 2030, 730 million litres in 2035, and 1,033 million litres in 2040.

To address this increasing demand, the plan involves sourcing 100 million litres daily from the Feni-Muhuri-Silonia rivers, 40 million litres from the Small Feni River, 179 million litres from rainwater harvesting, 105 million litres from the Feni Osmanpur Water Treatment Plant, 90 million litres from Mohra Water Treatment Plant Phase-02 (Halda River), and utilising sea water desalination to yield 200 million litres.

However, due to opposition from environmentalists, the collection of water from the Halda River had to be abandoned. Besides, water from the Feni River has been found to contain high salinity levels during the dry season, while the groundwater in Mirsarai was characterised by salinity, arsenic, and the presence of microbes.

Water cost to increase

Currently, most industrial areas in the country, including EPZs, incur costs ranging from Tk37-Tk40 for every 1,000 litres of water. Concerns are raised that factories within the Bangabandhu Shilpanagar may face elevated expenses, as the water supply in this region relies on costly projects.

Officials from the Bangladesh Export Processing Zone Authority (Bepza) say many companies have refrained from investing in the industrial zone due to the water crisis. Notably, two textile sector companies, which initially brought substantial investment in the Bepza part of the industrial zone this year, have withdrawn. 

Currently, only 25% of the plots of this part of the economic zone have been allocated, and a policy decision has been taken to discourage water-intensive industries, they say.

An official from Bepza told TBS that even with assured water supply, the cost of water in this area will be twice as much as in other EPZs. Chattogram Wasa officials echoed the same sentiment.

Abdullah Al Mahmud Faruk, project director of the industrial city project, said, "Foreign investment is attracted by utility facilities and inexpensive labour. If water costs increase, it could adversely affect foreign investment."

He added, "We are exploring options to source water from different outlets to make it more affordable. Regarding desalination, we understand that purifying larger volumes can reduce costs."

Engineer AKM Fazlullah, managing director of Chattogram Wasa, told TBS, "In Chattogram city, every 1,000 litres of water for commercial use is provided at Tk37. But the government provides subsidies here. However, when considering all these factors, the overall cost is expected to be high."

"The proposed water supply from Chandpur to Bangabandhu Shilpanagar will follow a PPP model, and the government will not subsidise it. The water price will be determined based on the associated costs."

He continued, "In India's industrial sector, water is sold at Tk150-Tk200 per 1,000 litres. It is a global practice that governments do not subsidise industrial water."