Surface water treatment plant to be established in Rajshahi

Rajshahi Wasa authorities recently signed a four-year agreement with a Chinese company to set up a new surface water treatment plant – to increase the surface-level water supply by reducing Rajshahi's dependence on groundwater.

If this project, worth Tk4062 crore, is implemented, it will be possible to supply 200 million litres of water, daily. By 2035, all of the region's water supply in the region would be met.

Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister Md Tajul Islam was present as the chief guest at the signing ceremony, at Sonargaon Hotel in the capital, on Sunday afternoon.

At the time, highlighting the close relations between Bangladesh and China, the minister said, "This relationship has taken on a new dimension in the last decade as it has contributed as a development partner in various sectors of Bangladesh."

"Bangladesh and China will work together to maintain bilateral relations in various development activities in the global arena," the minister added.

The minister further said that the agreement reached between Rajshahi Wasa and China's Hunan Construction Engineering Company Limited will be completed within the stipulated timeframe and the deadline will not be extended.

"The government is working to achieve the target of the SDGs [Sustainable Development Goals] by 2030 – with a focus on surface water instead of underground water," the minister said.

Out of the total cost of the project, which is Tk4,062 crore, the government of Bangladesh is due to spend Tk1,748 crore and Hunan Construction Engineers Group Company Limited is due to spend more than Tk2,313 crore.

Helaluddin Ahmed, senior secretary of Department of Local Government presided over the function. The special guests in attendance were: Rajshahi City Corporation Mayor AHM Khairuzzaman Liton, MP Fazle Hossain Badshah, Narayanganj City Corporation Mayor Selina Hayat Ivy, Gazipur Mayor Jahangir Alam, Representatives of Hunan Construction Engineering Company Limited, and senior officials of the ministry.