Chattogram Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (CWasa) has moved to boost water supply to Patenga, a coastal area on the city’s outskirts where many localities sit outside the utility’s network or get inadequate supply despite having connections.
The plan is to route water from the Bhandaljuri Water Treatment Plant in Boalkhali across the Karnaphuli River through the utility duct of the Karnaphuli tunnel.
CWasa Managing Director Selim Mohammad Jane Alam wrote to the Local Government Division on 3 June seeking support to secure approval from the Bridges Division for laying a pipeline inside the tunnel.
The Tk1,994.14 crore Bhandaljuri Water Supply Project includes a 66 MLD intake facility, a 60 MLD treatment plant, 133.3 kilometres of pipeline, a 10,000 cubic metre underground reservoir in Anwara and a 3,000 cubic metre overhead reservoir in Patiya, according to CWasa.
Launched to serve industrial and residential areas in Boalkhali, Patiya, Karnaphuli and Anwara, it began supplying water in late 2024 – but demand has lagged, leaving much of its capacity unused.
The plant currently treats about 20 million litres daily, with the Chinese Economic Zone expected to add another 10 million litres of demand. Officials said no provision was made to channel the remaining capacity to Chattogram city.
CWasa currently supplies around 500 million litres of water daily through four treatment plants and deep tube wells, still short of citywide demand.
In his letter, the managing director said Patenga’s daily demand stands at around 100 million litres against a supply of just 40 million litres. Diverting roughly 20 million litres of treated water from Bhandaljuri to Patenga via the tunnel’s utility duct from the Anwara end, he said, would significantly ease the shortfall while putting the plant’s idle capacity to use.
Patenga currently gets 30-40 million litres daily through a network running from Madunaghat to the New Market booster station and on to the Patenga booster station.
Supply reaches the main roads of Wards 39, 40 and 41, but many inner neighbourhoods remain uncovered. Demand is especially high, officials said, given the area’s coastal location and high salinity.
CWasa is also rolling out a Tk3,700 crore World Bank-backed project to overhaul the city’s water system, including 55 new deep tube wells. Though it should eventually boost supply to Patenga, around 300 kilometres of pipelines – including those in the area – must first be replaced.
Mohammad Mahbubul Alam, project director of the Bhandaljuri project, said CWasa had previously sought permission to use the tunnel’s utility duct but was turned down. “During project implementation, we requested permission to use the utility duct, but the bridge authorities did not agree. Now the managing director has taken the initiative again,” he told The Business Standard.
Jane Alam said the proposal reached the bridge authorities on Wednesday (17 June), with feedback expected within the week. “If we receive permission, we will be able to increase the water supply to Patenga. That would help resolve a long-standing water crisis in the area,” he said.
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