Development assistance organization Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is interested in establishing incinerator plants to dispose of medical wastes produced in hospitals under the city corporation areas. It is also interested in installing a new water treatment plant following the public-private partnership (PPP) funding model at Chattogram Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (WASA), said Japanese Ambassador to Bangladesh Ito Naoki. The ambassador expressed the interest to Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives Minister Md Tajul Islam during his visit at the ministry on Sunday. Also read: Stronger JICA cooperation sought for Bangladesh's development The minister welcomed the proposal to establish a water treatment plant and incineration plant with Japan’s aid. He said “The ministry will inform its decision in this regard after the proposal is formally made through a letter.” Tajul said,” Various initiatives have been taken to bring medical waste under proper management. The government has directed all the public-private medical and diagnostic centres to disinfect their medical waste and give it to waste collectors in prescribed bags instead of throwing it just anywhere.” He added that the public needs to be aware of medical waste as well as industrial waste and electronic waste. “If these wastes can be disposed of in an echo-friendly manner, it will be possible to prevent pollution,” he said. Also read: JICA to hold stakeholders meeting for energy-power master plan Japan has provided a lot of assistance for the development of Bangladesh and that cooperation will continue in the future as well, said Ambassador Ito. “Bangladesh has a long history of friendly relations with Japan,” he said and expressed hope that this relationship would be further strengthened in the future.

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. Read: President calls for more US investment in Bangladesh 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.

The Sheikh Russel water treatment plant is scheduled to be inaugurated on Sunday to mitigate the crisis of drinking water in Chattogram City.