The New Nation - Internet Edition

BSS, Dhaka

Dhaka Water And Sewerage Authority (WASA) earned Taka 80 crore more from January to November last year compared the same period in the previous year.

The total earning of the WASA during the months was Taka 310 crore of which Taka 281.58 crore came as revenue, Dhaka WASA sources told BSS here on Saturday.

During the present caretaker government, the volume of water production by WASA has increased on an average by 15 crore liter per day.

Presently, Dhaka WASA is producing 168 crore liter of water per day through four water purification plants and 474 deep tube wells.

In last one year, WASA took initiatives to install seven new tubewells and re-install another seven deep tubewells. Another five crore liter of water would be added per day in the total production by March next after operationalisation of those tubewells, the sources said. The government has decided to implement two different projects at a cost of Tk 1,100 crore to produce additional 82.50 crore liter of water daily.

Of the projects, the 'emergency rehabilitation and expansion' approved by the last ECNEC meeting in November will help increase per day production by 60 crore liters. The total cost of the project was estimated at Taka 271 crore which will be provided from the government's own fund.

The approval of the project document of the other one titled, 'Sayedabad Water Purification construction phase-2' is in the final stage. The estimated cost of the project is Taka 829 crore which will add 22.50 crore liter of water production per day.

A gas generator of 3.4 MW power generation capacity was set up for the Sayedabad water purification plant which saves Taka 50 crore of electricity bill.

The loan agreement of a project for re-establishment of 3,841 km long water pipe line to improve the water supple system was signed in December. The project will be implemented at a cost of Taka 1,456 crore with the financial help of the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

A total of 26 city canals were cleared for taking off the rainwater and storm-surge from the capital to help redress the water-logging problem. There was no water logging seen at the western part of Dhaka during the August flood as the present caretaker government took various steps including improvement of the pumping system last year.

The regulatory pond reservation project, being implemented adjacent to the Kalyanpur storm water pumping station would be completed in June next at a cost of Taka 204 crore.

In last one year, new organogram of WASA, service rules, water connection rules, sewerage tax rules and general provident fund rules were approved to improve the management of the water service delivery organisation, the sources said.