Ctg Wasa, city corporation to collaborate on human waste management

Chattogram City Corporation (CCC) and Chattogram Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (Wasa) have joined forces to address the issue of human waste management, as outlined in the memorandum of understanding (MoU) under the World Bank's 'Chattogram Water Supply, Development, and Sanitation Project-2'.

Both parties, along with the World Bank representatives, attended a meeting at the CCC office on Tuesday (29 August) to discuss the future course of action in this regard.

During the meeting, it was highlighted that improper waste disposal, including the release of waste from septic tanks into water bodies and drains, is causing significant environmental damage.

The Wasa team, led by its Managing Director Engineer AKM Fazlullah, noted that to counteract this issue, the collaborative project with support from the World Bank, aims to enhance human waste management in slum areas. Furthermore, the project intends to collect and treat human waste from residential building septic tanks in a treatment facility currently under construction in Halishahar.

In order to facilitate the project's execution, Wasa expressed its plan to sign a MoU with the city corporation, as well as Chattogram Development Authority (CDA).

Welcoming Wasa's initiative, CCC Mayor Rezaul Karim Chowdhury pledged maximum cooperation to ensure the success of this project for sustainable development.

He said, "Population in the city is rapidly expanding due to its economic prospects, necessitating effective waste management strategies. Therefore, we should follow the best practices around the world to enhance the city's livability, while also increasing the capacity to provide clean water to peripheral areas of the city."

The meeting was attended by key figures including Chief Executive Officer Sheikh Muhammad Tauhidul Islam, Chief Engineer Rafiqul Islam, Mayor's Private Secretary and Chief Cleaning Officer (Acting) Abul Hashem, Ctg Wasa Supervising Engineer Md Ariful Islam, and Executive Engineer Rezaul Ahsan Chowdhury. The World Bank representatives included Task Team Leader Arif Ahmed and Co-Task Team Leader Harsh Goyal, along with consultant Somnath Sen.