Hatirjheel stinks as sewage surges into water
A broken underwater pipe spews filthy water into Hatirjheel canal near FDC, spreading a stench. Inset, garbage floats in a corner of the canal. Photo: Sk Enamul Haq
Delay in setting up of a water treatment plant in Dasherkandi area and illegal dumping of industrial and household waste are every day turning bad to worse the water of Hatirjheel-Begunbari canal in the capital.
The Dasherkandi plant has now become pivotal to keep the water of the canal clean, said Prof Mujibur Rahman of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, whose team had done the Hatirjheel project’s drawing design and the feasibility study.
The waste treatment plant has been designed to treat 6 lakh cubic metre of water per day. Once its construction begins, the plant will take three years to start operating, said Prof Mujibur.
The Hatirjheel canal connects with the river Balu, which later joins the Shitalakkhya River. So with this canal getting polluted the water of the two rivers also is also getting contaminated.
On the delay in starting the treatment plant work, Managing Director of Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage authority (Wasa) Taqsem A Khan said they were now looking for donors to fund the Tk 1,500-crore water treatment plant.
“We have already requested the Economic Relations Division (ERD) through the LGRD ministry to find a donor,” he said, adding that the process of land acquiring for the project was going on now.
He said tender for the project work was also under process.
Prof Mujibur said the cost of the project would increase if it was delayed further. He said they had prepared the drawing and design of the treatment plant and submitted those to the authorities concerned in May.
The Dashekandi water treatment plant will be constructed on 60 acres of land in Dasherkandi, a village near the capital, and a 4.30 km pipeline from Rampura bridge to Dasherkandi would be set up to carry the untreated waste of the canal to the treatment plant, Prof Mujibur.
The Hatirjheel canal is mainly polluted during the rainy season as sewer waste with storm water falls into the canal through 11 outlets, he said.
Abdul Mannan, a resident of New Eskaton, said with the ever present stench of the contaminated water of the canal has also turned into a breeding haven for mosquitoes.
The polluted water would also going to harm the desirability of the Hatirjheel project, he said.
According to Prof Mujibur, if the work of the Dasherkandi water treatment plant does not start immediately it will ruin the environment of the Hatirjheel project.
He said it was also necessary to keep the sewerage lines separate from the storm water drains to curb pollution. These sewer lines had been connected to the storm water drains illegally.
According to him, Wasa initially can separate the Panthapath box culvert and then the Mohakhali box culvert and gradually all the 11 outlets from illegal connections.
Source: The Daily Star
