Dhaka WASA Officials Face Two-Month Deadline

Local Government State Minister Mir Shah Alam has warned that project directors at Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (WASA) could face strict action if ongoing projects fail to show visible progress within the next two months. He also directed the agency to reduce dependence on groundwater, accelerate surface-water projects and strengthen automation in meter reading and billing.

The minister issued the directives while speaking as chief guest at a review meeting on Dhaka WASA’s overall activities at the agency’s conference room in Karwan Bazar on Thursday, October 29. He said prolonged delays after project approval were unacceptable. He plans to review WASA’s performance again after two months and expects to see visible and fundamental changes by then.

Shift Towards Surface-Water Sources

The minister said Dhaka’s daily water demand and supply currently stand at 3.14 billion litres each. Demand is rising alongside population growth and an increase in the number of households. He expressed dissatisfaction that WASA had shown neither significant new innovation nor the expected pace of project implementation over the past seven months.

Currently, 74% of supplied water comes from groundwater and 26% from surface-water sources. The minister urged WASA to accelerate surface-water projects with the aim of reducing groundwater’s share to 20–25%, citing the goal of reducing earthquake risk.

The meeting, however, did not specify a timeline for completing individual projects or explain how progress towards this target would be measured.

Dasherkandi Project and Purbachal Network

The minister directed WASA to complete the pipeline connection project linking the Dasherkandi Sewage Treatment Plant with Gulshan, Banani and Baridhara as quickly as possible. He also instructed the agency to prepare a Development Project Proposal (DPP) promptly for building a water-supply network in Purbachal.

He said project directors would be held accountable if implementation failed to advance. According to the minister, reducing delays between project approval and implementation is essential to meeting the capital’s water needs.

Plan to Abolish WASA Boards

The minister also addressed WASA’s governance structure. He said existing law provides for boards at WASA agencies, but the government can form or dissolve them at any time. A ministry review, he said, found that in some cases board activities had slowed public-service operations and created unnecessary interference.

Against this backdrop, the government has decided to amend the law to abolish boards at all WASA agencies across Bangladesh, he said. The meeting did not provide details about the legislative timeline or the proposed alternative governance structure.

Billing Automation and Financial Capacity

The minister said Dhaka WASA must increase its own revenue while maintaining service standards as a commercial entity. Greater revenue generation, he said, would help reduce excessive dependence on foreign loans and allow public-benefit projects to be funded from the agency’s own resources.

He directed WASA to strengthen automation in meter reading and billing. He also instructed the agency to prepare a comprehensive staffing structure, or organogram, based on projected water demand in 2050 and submit it to the ministry for approval.

Effective billing automation could make meter reading and bill generation more systematic. However, the meeting did not identify specific technologies, an implementation schedule or performance indicators for the initiative.

Crackdown on Illegal Connections and Political Interference

The minister instructed WASA to identify illegal and unauthorised water connections and take strict action against them. He also called for immediate measures if influential individuals or political offenders were found to be involved.

He warned collective bargaining agents and employee organisations against using party or political influence to disrupt public services. He also called for public-awareness campaigns to discourage unnecessary water use, including leaving taps running while brushing teeth or shaving.

The meeting was chaired by Dhaka WASA Managing Director Dr Muha. Moniruzzaman and attended by senior officials, representatives of the engineers’ association, the diploma association, collective bargaining representatives and employees from different levels of the agency.

//DBTech/MBU/SMP/MIST//