The World Bank-funded Chittagong Water Supply Improvement and Sanitation Project (CWSISP) is supporting Chittagong Water and Sanitation Authority (Cwasa) to increase its water production capacity and improve the sewerage system.
Chittagong, with about 5m people, suffer from an inadequate water production capacity and insufficient sewerage systems. The port city’s water production capacity is only able to cater to 40% of the total estimated demand.
Additionally, there are no water-borne sewerage systems or storm-water drainage services in Chittagong.
The CWSISP aims to increase the supply of safe portable water by constructing selected water production, transmission and distribution network facilities in Chittagong, said a press release.
In a recent review, the World Bank urged the Cwasa to expedite the implementation of Modunaghat Water Treatment Plant and associated transmission pumping facilities.
The Cwasa has already signed the consultancy contract for the Modunaghat Water Treatment Plant and completed the technical proposal evaluation for the distribution network design consultancy. These steps when implemented would play crucial role in increasing water production along with addressing the widening gap between water demand and production in Chittagong.
The project went through some initial delays and needed more time than originally envisaged to establish a strong project management unit, identify all technical assistance needs, and procure the technical assistance consultancies to prepare detailed engineering designs and bidding documents for the major works.
Half-way through its original five-year implementation period, the project has less than 2 years to end. The government and the World Bank will review the progress and implementation status again in December 2013 to determine the scope of project restructuring.
In the meantime, Cwasa is fasttracking the implementation of the Modunaghat Water Treatment Plant, new water transmission mains, rehabilitation of existing booster stations, and rehabilitation and expansion of the distribution network.
The estimated total cost of CWSISP is US$ 185.4 million. The World Bank is providing about US$ 170.0 million, while the government is financing the remaining cost.
