Beza to supply sufficient water to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Shilpa Nagar
Beza has adopted short, medium and long term plans to supply enough water to BSMSN
The Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (Beza) has completed a feasibility study in collaboration with the Institute of Water Modeling (IWM) to supply water to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Shilpa Nagar (BSMSN).
According to the feasibility study, BSMSN has projected daily water demand of about 1,013 million litres, and a daily water supply plan has been taken according to the sector of the area.
The discussion came up during a consultation meeting on Wednesday at the PM's office with various stakeholders. Secretary to the Prime Minister's Office Mohammad Tofazzal Hossain Mia presided over the meeting.
BSMSN is being developed on about 33,000 acres of land in Mirsarai and Sitakunda upazila of Chattogram and Sonagazi upazila of Feni.
Executive Chairman of Beza Sheikh Yusuf Harun said, "Investors in BSMSN will have no problem with water in the future. Beza is committed to providing good quality water."
He also said, "Although groundwater is being used to meet the short-term water demand initially, use of surface water is being prioritised for later."
Institute of Water Modelling (IWM), Department of Public Health Engineering (DPHE), Chattogram Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (CWASA), and Water Resources Planning Organisation (WARPO) are working alongside Beza to meet the water demand.
Beza has adopted short, medium and long term plans considering feasibility study and current demand of investors.
Medium and long term water supply plan in Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Shilpa Nagar (2026-2040)
The short-term plan includes pumping 20 MLD of water through the installation of 40 deep tube-wells and pumping out 50 MLD of surface water from Feni's Muhuri reservoir. Beza has already started work to supply 50 MLD surface water from the Muhuri reservoir at the initial stage.
Beza informed, to meet the water demand of BSMSN, a feasibility study is being conducted by DPHE to draw water through a pipeline from the confluence of the river Meghna-Dakatiya near Chandpur. The Department of Public Health Engineering will take up the project to supply 1,000 MLD of water very soon following the feasibility study.
A consultancy firm is in the process of conducting a feasibility study for the extraction of 40 MLD of surface water from the river Little Feni (river Muhuri).
Under the World Bank-funded Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Shilpa Nagar Development project, there are plans to supply 30 MLD of water through a desalination plant at the initial stage. About 5 MLD of water will be supplied from Rainwater Harvesting and Reservoirs in future.
Initiatives have been taken to reuse water from Central Effluent Treatment Plant (CETP). Initially, steps have been taken to build a CETP, from which about 4 MLD of water will be available per day.
There are plans to set up three more CETPs from where about 12 MLD of water will be supplied per day. Beza also instructed investors and developers to conserve rainwater.
