The Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority has taken a plan to manage 70 per cent of its supply water from the surface sources by 2021.
Managing director of the service provider Taqsem A Khan on Wednesday expressed his hope that by the fiscal year 2018-2019 it would be possible to lessen pressure on ground water of the capital to a great extent.
At a press conference at DWASA Bhaban of the capital marking DWASA’s 50th founding anniversary, he informed that at present about 78 per cent water comes from ground water source while the rest only 22 per cent from the surface.
Taqsem also said at present only 30 per cent areas of the capital were under DWASA sewerage network and claimed DWASA had no sewer outlets connected with the River Buriganag.
Claiming DWASA has no sewer outlets linked to with the Buriganag, the DWASA MD blamed house owners for connecting illegal sewer lines with the DWASA storm water pipeline which ultimately goes into the adjacent rivers and canals and pullets water.
He claimed that they were now capable of producing surplus water which was more than 170 million litres per day.
‘It is the biggest achievement of DWASA in the last 50 years,’ he said, detailing that at present, DWASA water production capacity was 2420 million litres per day against daily demand for 2200-2250 MLD while in 2009 DWASA supplied 1850 MLD against daily demand for 2000-2050 MLD.
Addressing the press conference, DWASA MD said now non-revenue water or system loss of DWASA fell to 26 per cent though in 2009 it was about 40 per cent.
He said DWASA revenue earning has increased in the last four years.
In 2009, revenue earning was Tk 4.4 billion which is at present around Tk 7.94 billion, said Taqsem.
He said that DWASA is preparing a ‘drainage master plan’ for the capital city to provide better drainage services.
He said in this unplanned mega city where one third people belong to informal segment or low income community it is was big challenge for DWASA to cope up with various problems facing the city dwellers.
DWASA MD said by the year 2015, DWASA would bring 3.5 million low income community people of the capital under DWASA legal water coverage.
DWASA deputy managing director (administration) Md Ataur Rahman, DMD (operations and maintenance) SDM Quamrul Alam Chowdhury and DMD (finance) Syed Golam Ahammad were also present at the press conference.
-With New Age input
