A project worth over Tk 5,000 crore has been approved by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) to implement a planned sewerage project in two more catchments of Chattogram City.
The project will install sewerage lines in the Kalurghat and Bakalia areas. However, work on the project can only begin after approval of a separate project for land acquisition.
Work on Catchment-1, which began earlier, is already 60% complete. In addition, another project worth Tk 2,700 crore for Catchment-5 in the Kattoli area, funded by the French development agency AFD, may be approved at the next ECNEC meeting.
The planned sewerage project, which divides Chattogram City into six separate catchments, is gradually gaining momentum. The city is home to over 7 million people.
Due to the lack of a planned sewerage system, the city’s wastewater is being discharged directly into the river, which is a major cause of environmental pollution.
It is hoped that the implementation of this project will improve the environment and public health in Chattogram.
A project worth Tk 5,152.56 crore has been approved by ECNEC for Catchment-2 (Kalurghat) and Catchment-4 (Bakalia) under the sewerage project being implemented in Chattogram. Two treatment plants will be constructed on 74 acres of land in the Hamidchar area of Kalurghat and 74 acres of land opposite the Maritime University in Bakalia. JICA, the Government of Bangladesh and Chattogram WASA will jointly finance the project.
On the other hand, work on Catchment-1, which started in 2022, is already 60% complete. Under this catchment, sewerage lines are being connected to 28,000 houses in 21 wards of the city and over 200 km of pipelines are being laid. Two treatment plants are being constructed on 163 acres of land in Chouchaala, Halishahar.
As part of future plans, a project worth Tk 2,700 crore for Catchment-5 (Kattoli) is under consideration by the Planning Commission. Work on Catchment-1 is expected to be completed by next year, but other catchments may take until 2030 to implement.
Project Director Engineer Ariful Islam said, “This very important project will go a long way in making Chattogram a world-class city.”
