Govt working to supply safe water to grassroots level: PM

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday said her government has been taking measures to supply pure drinking water to grassroots people up to union levels to bring 90% of the population under its coverage.

"We are adopting steps to supply pure drinking water not only to Dhaka and Chattogram, but also to the union levels to bring 90% people under the coverage," she said.

The prime minister said this while inaugurating "Sheikh Hasina Water Treatment Plant-2" of Chattogram WASA at Hotel Radisson Blu in Chattogram, joining the programme virtually from her official Ganabhaban residence in the capital.

She said her government has started implementing the Delta Plan-2100 as the grassroots people can get pure drinking water and lead an improved life.

The prime minister said her government has given special focus on materialising the goal no 6 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which is to ensure safe water and proper drainage system for the people, as everyone demands safe water.

She asked all concerned to harvest the rainwater and increase the use of surface water instead of ground water to check the risk of earthquakes as Bangladesh is an earthquake prone country.

The prime minister also asked to take effective measures to save the rivers particularly the Karnaphuli from pollution and preserve the river water to use for the drinking purpose.

She directed the mills and factories' owners to build their own mechanism for waste management to save the river from pollution.

She also stressed building water reservoirs while taking up projects to harvest rainwater.

Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister Tazul Islam and Chattogram City Corporation Mayor Rezaul Karim Chowdhury, spoke on the occasion.

Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud was present among others.

Local Government Division Senior Secretary Helal Uddin Ahmed moderated the function and Chattogram WASA Managing Director Engineer AKM Fazlullah delivered the welcome address.

A video documentary on the development of Chattogram WASA was screened.

With the inauguration of the water treatment plant, the overall water supply capacity of Chattogram WASA now stands at 50 crore litres.

The newly constructed Sheikh Hasina Water Treatment Plant-II at Rangunia under Chattogram WASA Karnaphuli Water Supply Project (Phase-II) has the capacity of producing 14.30 crore litres.

Sheikh Hasina asked all concerned to keep water reservoirs in every place in case of construction of any structure, no matter if it is housing or industrial one, aimed at harvesting rainwater and conserving river water during the rainy season.

She said: "Our dependency on the underground water is declining since the water treatment plants are using surface sources".

Describing Chattogram as the main commercial city, she said her government has been working to make its overall development.

"The entire Bangladesh will be benefited, if we can develop Chattogram. There is no doubt to this end," she said.

Many areas across the country, particularly Chattogram, had to face an acute water crisis in the past, she said.

"But we've been working relentlessly to solve the problems," she said.

The prime minister added that her government started implementation of 'Karnaphuli Water Supply Project (Phase I)' in 2011 and inaugurated Sheikh Hasina Water Treatment Plant-1 in 2017 which was constructed under the project.

Later, the government opened the Sheikh Russel Water Treatment Plant at Madunaghat in 2020 with the daily supply capacity of nine crore litres in a bid to meet the growing water demand in the port city, she said.

The PM said her government formulated the drainage and sanitation master plan to provide a modern sewerage system to the Chattogram city dwellers.

"Now the plan is being implemented", she said.