SCC dwellers suffering from acute water crisis

SYLHET, Sept 30: Dwellers in the Sylhet City Corporation (SCC) area have been suffering much due to inadequate supply of pure drinking water as the authority concerned supply 45 million litres against a demand of 85 million litres.

Amid such a crisis with about 50 per cent supply, the Sylhet City Corporation (SCC) decided to establish a new water treatment plant with 50 million litres capacity, sources said. The Tk 6.5 billion project, okayed by the LGRD ministry is now awaiting approval from the ECNEC.

The SCC can now supply only 7.7 million litres from its water treatment plant in Kuhsighat area although it has a capacity of 28 million litres. For technical reasons, the plant can't be operated properly.

Besides, 38 production wells out of 42 in the city areas produce water for supplying to the dwellers.

The other and too-old small plant in the city's Topkhana area had long been lying inoperative due to its worn out state while the authority concerned wants to set up a small plant of 2.0 million litres capacity there. 

Officials at the Water supply section of the SCC informed they can supply maximum 45 million litres from the Kushighat plant and from the 38 production wells. Yet the deficit stands at 40 million litres a day.

This is why they decided to establish a new plant on the Chengerkhal riverbank, which flows through the suburban area. Institute of Water Modelling (IWM) had done the feasibility study, the officials added.

Accordingly, a Development Project Profile (DPP) was prepared and on approval, it was sent to the LGRD ministry. Now the 50 million- litre capacity plant project has been awaiting approval at the ECNEC. Then as the first step, process for the plant's land acquisition would begin, the officials further said

SCC mayor Ariful Haque Chowdhury said, "With a target to meeting the ever rising water demand, we would establish a new water treatment plant at suburban Chengerkhal. As the LGRD ministry had examined and approved the project and sent it to the ECNEC, hopefully it would be approved at the ECNEC. Then we would start work. The 50 million litre-capacity treatment would help meet the demand."

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