Dhaka WASA to implement Tk920cr emergency water initiative

The government has undertaken a Tk920.85 crore emergency project aimed at strengthening water supply services across Dhaka as demand for safe drinking water continues to rise with rapid urbanisation and population growth.

The initiative, titled “Emergency Water Supply in Dhaka City,” will be implemented by the Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (Dhaka WASA) under full government financing. The project is expected to continue until June 2030 and has already received approval from the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC).

Officials said the project has been designed as a temporary but critical measure to maintain stable water supply in the capital until two major surface water treatment plants currently under construction become fully operational.

According to the Planning Commission, the project aims to stabilise Dhaka’s existing water distribution network, supply an additional 576 million litres of water per day, and modernise system management through installation of advanced Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) technology.

Dhaka WASA currently supplies around 2,977 million litres of water daily to nearly 20 million residents in Dhaka and nearby areas. Of the total production, 66 per cent comes from groundwater sources, while the remaining 34 per cent is sourced from surface water.

Officials warned that increasing population density and higher living standards are rapidly pushing up demand, which is projected to reach nearly 3,558 million litres per day by 2029.

To address future water security concerns, Dhaka WASA is gradually shifting its dependence away from groundwater toward surface water sources. The Gandharpur Water Treatment Plant and Saidabad Water Treatment Plant Phase-3 are expected to become operational in 2026 and 2028 respectively.

Under the emergency project, 388 deep tube wells will be replaced, 450 pump motor sets and VFD systems installed, and 124 SCADA systems introduced for automation and monitoring. The project also includes rehabilitation of tube wells, installation of iron removal plants, construction of pump houses, and expansion of transmission infrastructure across Dhaka North and South City Corporation areas.