Project Taken to Improve Dhaka's Sanitation

The government has taken a big initiative to install improved sanitation and sewage system in some selected areas of the capital alongside enhancing the institutional and operational capacity of Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (Wasa).

For this, the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) in its last meeting approved a project titled "Dhaka Sanitation Improvement Project (DSIP)" with an estimated cost of Tk4,055.60 crore.

Of the total project cost, Tk1,199.60 crore will come from the government while the rest of Tk2,856 crore will come as project assistance from the World Bank and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) as loans, said a senior Planning Commission official.

The official said that Dhaka Wasa under the Local Government Division will implement the project by December 2024.

Commenting on the project, Planning Minister MA Mannan said that once the project is implemented, it would be possible to establish improved sanitation and sewage system in some selected areas of Dhaka metropolis.

"As a result of this, around 1,500,000 people in Dhaka city will come under improved sanitation system side by side the skills of the manpower of Dhaka Wasa will also increase on sewage system under the capacity building component of the project," he told reporters after the Ecnec meeting.

The project areas cover Paltan, Motijheel, Ramna, Kalabagan, Shahbagh, Khilgaon, Sabujbagh, Kotoali, Sutrapur, Bangshal and Wari of the capital.

Another official at the Planning Commission said that the lone sewage treatment plant of Dhaka Wasa is situated in Pagla and the treatment capacity of that plant could not be exploited properly due to the insufficiency or blockage in the collection network.

Besides, a part of the city dwellers is also diverting their sewage waste to the nearby stormwater drainage lines or other water bodies and thus polluting those and the environment resulting in the deterioration of the public health system in the capital.

Under the circumstances, a sewerage master plan has already been framed to improve the overall sanitation and sewerage system of the capital by Dhaka Wasa.

As part of the priority works under that master plan, DSIP has been undertaken.

The main project operations include an extension of the existing Pagla sewage treatment plant, reconstruction and rehabilitation of trunk main at eastern, western and south-western regions of the Dhaka metropolis, some 462km sewerage network construction, reconstruction or rehabilitation under Pagla catchment area, construction and operating of two lots of decentralized wastewater treatment plant, necessary land acquisition, and development, procurement of IT equipment, software, sewer cleaning equipment.

Before undertaking this project, a technical assistance project titled "Preparatory Activities of Dhaka Sanitation Improvement Project" was implemented with financial support from the World Bank for conducting the feasibility study and other necessary works.

The Pre-Evaluation Committee (PEC) meeting on the project was held on October 31 last year where the Planning Commission recommended implementing the project subject to fulfillment of some conditions.