The Khulna Water and Sewerage Authority is failing to serve the city dwellers as it is beset with manifold problems, including manpower shortage, even five years after its inception.
According to deputy managing director of the organsiaiton Kamal uddin Ahmed, Khulna WASA supplies 13 crore litres of water against the daily need for 24 crore litres for about 15 lakh city dwellers of 61, 665 holdings of 18 square miles of area.
‘We are supplying only 42 per cent of the total demand while the rest 52 per cent comes from private initiative by the city dwellers and through deep and shallow tube-wells,’ he said.
At present, there are 16,000 deep and 6,000 shallow tube-wells in the city. Besides, 13 production tube wells have been installed to supply water through pumps.
The deputy managing director said Khulna WASA needed coordination with the Khulna City Corporation to be self-reliant. But this is lacking here, he said.
He said Khulna WASA had given 2,710 new pipeline connections in the last five years.
‘We could not give any more connections following objections raised by Khulna City Corporation. Because KCC does not give permission to set up underground pipelines by digging roads,’ he said.
The deputy MD further said a surface water treatment plant was being constructed at village Shamantasena under Rupsha in Khulna with a view to resolving water crisis.
When installed, the plant will largely contribute to supplying water to each holding of the city through the pipelines.
The work of the Surface Water Treatment Plant being constructed at a cost of Tk 2,500 crore is expected to be completed by 2017 for supplying 12 crore litres of water daily to meet entire need of the people, he said.
Meanwhile, Khulna WASA has taken necessary preparations to ensure steady supply of water during Ramadan by operating ten mobile tanks and pumps for 16 hours every day.
-With New Age input
