City reels under water crisis

The city dwellers are experiencing severe water crisis that hits the capital city every summer
"As the water supply is inadequate against the demand, city dwellers go for bottled water to meet their daily requirements," alleged a resident at Nakhalpara area.
The Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (WASA) produces on an average 170-175 crore litres of water a day against a demand for 210 crore litres. However, the WASA''s daily production capacity is about 194 crore litres.
The first phase of Sayedabad water Treatment Plant produces 22.5 crore litres of water, Chandighat 3.9 crore litres of water, Narayanganj at 2.9 crore litres of water and the second phase of the Sayedabad Water Treatment Plant produces more than 22.5 crore litres per day.
Visiting different areas in the city on Monday this correspondent found hundreds of patients suffering in hospitals and clinics due to water crisis.
The city dwellers opt for buying water suction pumps as normal flow is not enough to fill their reservoirs with water in summer, Nadia Sultana, an owner of a five-storey building at the city''s Mirpur area, said.
"The severe load-shedding has forced WASA to cut its one-third production capacity," said Managing Director of WASA Engineer Raihanul Abedin, adding that the city dwellers are largely depended on WASA water for daily life.
The WASA is using 274 generators to maintain limited water supply in the city that consumes 2.23 crore litres of water daily.
"Not only WASA but also Dhaka Electricity Supply Authority (DESA) is responsible for the present severe water crisis in the city", said a high official of WASA at Bangla College Zonal office.
Rabeya, a housewife and a resident at Nakhalpara area, on Monday alleged that she did not prepare food due to water scarcity.
"Many residents have been facing severe crisis of drinking water during the summer," she said.
The city sees a ray of hope for easing water crisis within the next two years, as the government has taken up an initiative of setting up the Khilkhet Water Treatment Plant Project for smooth supply of water under a master plan involving Tk 2,200 crore. A feasibility study already has been started for the project.
The supply of water by WASA hampers due to severe load-shedding every summer. But the WASA usually establishes a total of 456 deep tubewells in the city for supplying water among 1.2 crore people. These tubewells meet 75 per cent of the total demand.
"The water crisis in the city is expected to be eased after the implementation of the proposed Khilkhet Plant project", said the official.
WASA is supplying water by tank lorries in different areas including Kazipara, Dhanmondi, Nakhalpara, Rampura, Badda, Shajadpur, Bashabo, Mohammadpur, Monipuripara, Rajapazar, Gulshan, Uttara, Mohakhali and others parts of the capital city.