MR Amin, Chittagong

Chittagong Wasar Vandaljuri Water Treatment Plant Project has been completed and now it is waiting for inauguration.

The project stakeholders are expecting water supply at customer level soon along with the industrial factories of Patia Boalkhali Karnaphuli and Anwara upazilas. Newly with the same project, a large part of the city including three upazilas is coming under the water supply.

Chittagong WASA Drishtinandan Vandaljuri Water Treatment Plant Project has been built on a 41.26 acres area on the banks of the Karnaphuli river and at the foot of two hills in the Vandaljuri hilly area of Jaishthpura between Rangunia and Boalkhali upazilas, near the banks of the Karnaphuli river.

One of WASA's projects was the Boalkhali Vandalzuri Water Treatment Plant and Supply Project to alleviate the water crisis in the industrial areas of Chittagong city, West Patia Anwara and Karnaphuli upazilas and to modernize the city's sewage systemIf this project is implemented, 1 million people including the industrial areas of South Chittagong will come under safe water.

Chittagong WASA's Vandaljuri water treatment plant experimental production and commissioning (trial run) project is going on. Those concerned with the project are ready to officially open any time when they get the official schedule. As a result, this project with a daily treatment capacity of 6 crore liters will be connected to WASA service very soon.

The cost of the project was estimated at Tk 1995 crore but the expenditure was around Tk 1700 crore. The project has been completed with a reduction cost. The lifetime of the project is 50 years. Korean contractor Taeng Engineering and Construction Company Ltd. did its construction.

Engineer Mahbubul Alam, Project Director (PD) of Chittagong Wasar Vandaljuri Project said that under this project, there are 130 km transmission and distribution lines for water supply. Pipes are cleaned and sterilized by pilot production. No error found anywhere. We are waiting for the official schedule. We are ready to provide formal service at any time when we get the schedule. If this project is launched, 6 crore liters of water will be available daily. Through this project, water connection will be provided to 10,000 residential customers of Chittagong's Anwara, Boalkhali and Karnaphuli upazilas. From this project, 80 percent of water will be supplied to industrial areas and 20 percent to residential customers.

The project officials said that through the Vandaljuri project, commercial connections will be given to 13 small and big industrial establishments, these establishments have a target of supplying 4 crore liters of water per day. Apart from this, 2 crore liters will be given to residential customers. Through this project, two reservoirs have been constructed in 5 acres in Patia Bypass area and 2.94 acres in Daulatpur Mauza of Anwara for water supply. 113 km pipe line has been laid under this project.

Chief engineer of Chittagong Wasa Maqsud Alam said, "The Vandaljuri project has the capacity to treat 6 crore liters of water per day, and there is a plan to serve 10,000 customers. For water supply under the project, Korean EPZ, China Economic Zone, CUFL, Kafco and other industrial zones and as many as two thousand customers have applied for residential connections. Already connected to 700 customers. The work of connecting the rest of the customers is in progress. We are trying to start water supply as soon as possible.

According to Chittagong WASA sources, in 2009, Korea's state donor, the Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), formulated a masterplan for increasing Chittagong's water supply and sanitation. According to that master plan, Chittagong WASA undertook various projects among which the Boalkhali Vandalzuri water supply project was one of them.

Later, Chittagong WASA took the initiative to implement the project to supply 6 crore liters of water per day. For this project, water will be brought from the Karnaphuli river and treated in the project, and the water will be supplied to the industrial areas of the three upazilas Anwara Boalkhali and Karnaphuli upazila for 80% of the residents.

To increase the scope of Chittagong Wasar service and supply water to residential and industrial factories in South Chittagong, the Chittagong Wasar project was approved in 2016 at a cost of Tk 1,360 million.

The project was built on an area of 41.26 acres in the Vandaljuri hilly area of Jaishthpura between Rangunia and Boalkhali upazilas, near the banks of the Karnaphuli river. Although the project was supposed to be completed in 2020, the construction work started in September 2019 due to land issues. As a result, the project was approved in its first revised form on 28 January 2020.

By June 2023, time and cost increased to 1 thousand 995 crore 15 lakh taka. 824 crore 50 lakh rupees is being financed by the Korean Exim Bank. Bangladesh government gave 1 thousand 150 crores 65 lakhs and Chittagong WASA gave 20 crores from its own funds. Out of this, 70 crore rupees have been paid to the Korean consulting firm as a fee.

The Korean construction company 'Taeng Engineering and Construction Company Limited' has worked as a contractor.