Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday stressed the need for rainwater harvesting and river water conservation instead of its collection from the underground.

“We’ll have to harvest rainwater and conserve river water in the rainy season anyhow so that we can use the water properly,” she said while opening the newly constructed Sheikh Hasina Water Treatment Plant-II of Chattogram Wasa.

The prime minister joined the function virtually from her official residence Ganobhaban here. The programme was held at a hotel  in Chattogram.

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The new plant will raise overall water supply capacity of Chittagong Wasa to 50 crore liters a day, an increase by 14.30 crore liters.

The plant has been constructed at Rangunia in Chittagong under Chattogram WASA Karnaphuli Water Supply Project (Phase-II).

Hasina said water reservoirs should be kept in every place in case of construction of any structure, no matter if it is housing or industrial one, in order to harvest rainwater and conserve river water during the rainy season.

“We’ll have to bring down our dependency on underground water,” she said, adding that her government constructed the water treatment plant based on surface water.

“Since the water treatment plants are now collecting water from the surface sources, our dependency on underground water is declining,” she said.

LGRD and Cooperatives Minister Md Tazul Islam and Mayor of Chattogram City Corporation Md Rezaul Karim Chowdhury also spoke at the function, while Information and Broadcasting Minister Hasan Mahmud was present at Chattogram end.

Senior Secretary of Local Government Division Helal Uddin Ahmed conducted the virtual event and Managing Director of Chattogram Wasa Engineer AKM Fazlullah delivered the welcome speech.

Hasina said the risk of earthquake damage may go high if the groundwater depletes.

She said her government has been taking measures to ensure pure drinking water supply up to grassroots levels all over the country, not only in Dhaka and Chattogram.

“This work now continues and at present 90 per cent of the population have access to safe water," she said.

The prime minister asked the authorities of different industries and factories to pay attention to waste management to protect rivers and lands from the pollution. “All will have to pay attention so that our rivers and areas, in no way, are polluted,” she said.

Noting that Chattogram is the main commercial city, she said her government has prioritized its development . 

“If we can develop Chattogram, the entire Bangladesh will be benefited,” she said.

Referring to various problems, including water crisis, in Chattogram,  Hasina said, “We’ve been making efforts to solve the problems.”

She also mentioned the opening of Sheikh Hasina Water Treatment Plant-1 in 2017 under the ‘Karnaphuli Water Supply Project (Phase-I)’ launched in 2011.

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She also noted the opening of Sheikh Russel Water Treatment Plant at Madunaghat in 2020 with the daily supply capacity of 9 crore liters in a bid to meet the growing water demand in the port city.

The PM said her government formulated the drainage and sanitation master plan to provide a modern sewerage system to the Chattogram city dwellers. Now the plan is being implemented, she said.