Due to salinity, Chattogram WASA (Water Supply and Sewerage Authority) has been unable to collect sufficient water for its needs in recent years.
The organization extracts water from the Halda and Karnaphuli rivers, treats it, and supplies it to the city. However, in recent years, seawater has been entering the rivers, causing the salinity levels in the WASA water to steadily increase.
As a result, water production has decreased, and residents in various areas are not receiving water on a daily basis. Moreover, the water they do receive is undrinkable due to its high salinity.
Although the authorities are looking for alternative solutions, the water crisis has severely affected people, especially those fasting during Ramadan. A similar situation was observed last year during Ramadan.
It is known that the only reliable source of water for Chattogram WASA is the Kaptai Lake. Water from this lake flows into the Karnaphuli and Halda rivers. However, the problem is that, while the water level in the lake used to be around 109 feet in normal conditions, it has been steadily decreasing in recent years.
Especially at the start of summer, the water level in various parts of the lake drops. This not only affects river-based communication, business, fish production, and tourism, but also reduces the production of hydroelectricity, leading to a water shortage for WASA. This, in turn, impacts the daily lives of the city’s residents.
Doctors have expressed concern that excessive salinity in the water can lead to high blood pressure, as well as kidney and eye damage. In light of this, Chattogram WASA has started the process of building a new water treatment plant to ensure a steady water supply during the summer months by sourcing water from alternative places.
This plant will have the capacity to purify 63 crore liters of water daily. This is a timely initiative to address the dry season's water shortage and future demand. The proposed project, titled "Relocation of the Mohra Water Treatment Plant's intake and capacity enhancement to eliminate salinity," if completed, will be able to meet the city's increased water demand even by 2042.
It was originally aimed to be completed by 2029, but the feasibility study has not even begun yet. Why the delay in taking preemptive measures despite understanding the risks?
According to Chattogram WASA officials, the current daily water demand for the city is 58 crore liters, which is expected to rise to 75 crore liters by 2032 and exceed 100 crore liters by 2042. To meet this massive water demand and address the emerging crisis, WASA has announced plans to install deep tube wells under the World Bank-funded Chattogram Water Supply Improvement Project.
Additionally, many have suggested the construction of a regulator to block tidal water to quickly address the salinity problem. Now, what is needed is the successful and swift implementation of all these initiatives.
Doctors advise that the maximum permissible sodium (salt) content in drinking water is 145 milligrams. However, prolonged consumption of water with a higher sodium content can cause various health problems.
Specifically, people with high blood pressure may face difficulties. Therefore, the increasing salinity in the Kaptai Lake water has made it extremely urgent to find alternative water sources. Although people face significant hardships every year due to salinity, the authorities have not yet taken permanent steps to address the issue.
Given that rainfall is decreasing and sediment is filling up the Kaptai Lake due to climate change, it is crucial to prioritize the needs of the residents of large cities like Chattogram. We hope that effective steps will be taken to preserve the Kaptai Lake and provide a long-term solution to this crisis.