CHATTOGRAM, Aug 2: The Mirsarai Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Shilpa Nagar (BSMSN) in Chattogram is going to have a 900 -million -litre water treatment plant to be set up at the junctions of Padma-Meghna-Dakatia at Chandpur point during the current year.
The transaction Adviser appointed for the project has already submitted the revised final report of the feasibility study. '
The BSMSN, Chattogram WASA, Public Private Partnership Authority and the departments concerned have been continuing the discussion over the report submitted by the Italian firm ITU.
"We have been discussing the report in regular meetings to finalise it," said AKM Fazlullah Managing Director of Chattogram WASA. "We hope that the construction works of the project will begin in the current year," he said.
Under this project a total of 132 km long pipelines will be installed for supply of the water to BSMSN. CWASA sources said that an amount of Taka 10,000 crore will be spent for implementation of the project.
The Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Shilpa Nagar (BSMSN) in Mirsarai has already gone into operation. The Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated 50 industrial units, projects and facilities in the Economic Zones (EZs) across the country including four factories and the administrative buildings of the project on November 22 last year.
She also formally opened the 20-kilometre Sheikh Hasina Sarani, 230-KVA gridline and substation at the BSMSN and laid the foundation stone of a water treatment plant having the capacity of 50 million litres per day (MLD) set up by BEZA.
Earlier the CCEA (Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs) approved 900 million litres water treatment project.
The BSMSN site is located 200 kilometers (km) from Dhaka, 60 km from Chattogram, 70 km from Chattogram Port and the Shah Amanat International Airport and 330 km from Sylhet. The BSMSN Master Plan area is covered in the two districts, three upazilas, and 6 unions and comprised of 26 mouzas.
The objective of BSMSN is to provide cost effective, safe, less travel time and logical road network for all road users especially between Mirsarai Economic Zone and the capital Dhaka as well as the port city Chittagong through Dhaka-Chattogram National Highway. It is a specialized and dedicated roadway for carrying goods to economic zone along with transferring finished products from this zone to home and abroad.
It will accelerate the economic development of the country through industrialization and creation of new employment, reliable and adequate power supply to the Economic Zone at Mirsarai is of utmost importance.
According to the Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (Beza), a total of 153 companies have so far been allotted 6,500 acres of land for setting up factories there. Once fully operational, this Shilpa Nagar will create around 15 lakh jobs.
Currently, eight industrial units have commenced commercial operations there, with 21 others in various stages of construction.
As per projections, the industrial sector's untreated water demand is expected to rise significantly: reaching 364 million litres per day (MLD) by 2025, 516 MLD by 2030, 730 MLD by 2035, and 1,033 MLD by 2040.
Presently, the Beza relies on 50 deep tube wells to meet water requirements.
"Arrangements are being made to fetch water from the Meghna River to provide uninterrupted supply to Bangabandhu Shilpa Nagar for 100 years. If these projects are implemented, the standard of living in Chattogram will improve and the economy will get a boost," Fazlullah said.
Presently, the Beza relies on 50 deep tube wells to meet water requirements.
South Korean firm Taeyoung Engineering and Construction Co Ltd has expressed interest in investing in the Public Private Partnership (PPP) project, with the main project cost estimated at Tk8,952 crore.
Additionally, work on an associated project for land acquisition is currently underway, potentially bringing the total project cost to around Tk10,000 crore.
