Ctg Wasa's Tk2,797cr project to connect Kattali to central sewerage system

Infograph: TBS

Chattogram Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (Wasa) has undertaken a Tk2,797 crore project to bring the residents of the Kattali area under the central sewerage system, aiming to cover three lakh people by 2035 and 15 lakh by 2070.

Officials say a master plan for Chattogram's central sewerage system was formulated in 2017, dividing the city into six zones. The "North Kattali Catchment Sanitation Project" is the third initiative under this plan.

The project was approved on 2 February at a meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) chaired by Chief Adviser Dr Muhammad Yunus, with an implementation timeline from January 2025 to December 2029.

According to project documents, a 50,000-cubic-metre-per-day treatment plant will be built on the site of the first sewerage project in Halishahar. To connect users to the plant, the plan includes 98 km of sewer lines and 8,100 household connections.

Additionally, as part of on-site sanitation and fecal sludge management, 797 facilities – including hygienic latrines, communal septic tanks, public toilets, and decentralised wastewater system – will be constructed or renovated in slum areas of North Kattali Catchment.

Of the total project cost, the French Development Agency (AFD) will provide Tk1,872 crore in loan assistance. The remaining funds will come from the government's grant of Tk362 crore, a government loan of Tk543 crore, and Tk20 crore from Chattogram Wasa's own funds.

Chattogram Wasa's Chief Engineer Maksud Alam told TBS, "The main infrastructure of the project will be built on Wasa's own land in Halishahar, so land acquisition is not required. After finalising the design and drawings, we plan to appoint a consulting firm and start construction work within a year. We are working with the goal of completing the project within the scheduled time."

Iimplementing the master plan

According to Chattogram Wasa sources, Chattogram generates nearly 40 crore litres of wastewater daily, which flows into the Karnaphuli and Halda rivers through drains and canals. Due to the tides, this wastewater ultimately ends up in the Bay of Bengal.

Every day, 539 cubic metres of fecal sludge accumulate in septic tanks, of which 15 cubic metres are treated by the Chattogram City Corporation (CCC) and 20 cubic metres by DSK, a non-government organisation (NGO). The remaining waste ends up in rivers and the sea.

Under Chattogram Wasa's Sanitation and Drainage Master Plan, the city is divided into six catchment areas, with the goal of bringing 89 lakh people under the service coverage.

To implement the master plan, six catchment areas have been brought under five separate projects. Three projects covering four regions have already been approved, while the remaining two projects are in the pipeline.

According to the recommendations of the plan, work on the first catchment area began in 2018 with an estimated cost of Tk3,800 crore. The first sewage treatment plant is being established on 163 acres of land in Halishahar by Chattogram Wasa.

After joint financing by the Bangladesh government and Wasa, the sewage system will cover 20 lakh people in the city. The project is set to be completed by June 2026. This is Chattogram Wasa's first sewage project since its establishment in 1963.

Despite extending the project deadline twice, Wasa has yet to complete the work. Currently, only 60% of the project has been finished, with costs rising from Tk3,800 crore to Tk4,400 crore.

The second sewage project, titled Chattogram Sewerage System Improvement Project (Catchments-2 & 4), was approved on 25 November last year. The project aims to bring the residents of Kalurghat and Bakolia under a central sewage system, with a budget of Tk5,152.56 crore. By 2035, it is expected to cover 400,000 people, and by 2070, it will serve even more.

Under this project, a treatment plant with a daily capacity of 60,000 cubic metres will be constructed in the Hamidchar area of Kalurghat, along with 11 km of main sewer lines, 70 km of branch sewer lines, 70 km of service lines, 932 manholes, and 14,000 household connections, as well as 14,000 catchpits.

South Korea's Economic Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF) has completed a feasibility study for funding the Fatehabad Catchment (STP-3) project, which has an estimated cost of Tk3,360 crore. Once implemented, the project will have the capacity to treat 60 million litres of wastewater per day, benefiting around 30 lakh people in Chattogram city and Hathazari upazila.

Meanwhile, Marubeni Corporation from Japan has expressed interest in implementing the Patenga Catchment (STP-6) project under a public-private partnership (PPP) model. The project, estimated to cost Tk9,897 crore, will have a daily wastewater treatment capacity of 50 million litres, covering around 1.15 million people.

The last two projects are currently under review by the Planning Commission and other government committees.

Chattogram Wasa's Chief Engineer Maksud Alam said, "To protect the Karnaphuli and Halda rivers, the primary sources of drinking water for the city, all areas must be brought under a proper sewerage system. Work is ongoing to achieve this goal."