RAJSHAHI, May 21, 2026 (BSS)- To address the acute crisis of safe drinking water Rajshahi WASA has undertaken an initiative to treat Padma water and supply in the neighbourhood.

The Surface Water Treatment Plant Project is being implemented at a cost of approximately Taka 4,062.23 crore.

Under the project, a modern water treatment plant is being constructed in the Sarengpur area of Godagari upazila, Rajshahi. According to WASA sources, about 46 percent of the project’s work has been completed.

Rajshahi Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (RWASA) has been implementing this project in collaboration with China’s Hunan Construction Engineering Group Company Limited.
 
Sarengpur has been selected for the project considering its suitability as it’s situated in the confluence of the Padma and Mahananda rivers where water remains about 30 feet deep year-around. 
 
Under the project, water will be collected from the Padma River, treated, and then transported via pipeline to the booster pump station set up in Haripur, Paba upazila. 

From there, purified water will be supplied to city residents. At the same time, residents of 30 wards in Katakhali, Nowhata, and Godagari will also receive safe drinking water under the project.
It is expected that dependence on groundwater will decrease significantly as a result, which is declining day by day in Barind region due to excessive use for farming and various daily activities.  Many areas of the Rajshahi region face severe water shortages during the summer season. In several places, water cannot be found without deep tube wells. This causes extreme hardship for ordinary people.

A site visit showed that construction of the water treatment plant and booster pump station is going on in full swing.

In addition, installation of the transmission pipeline from Kashiadanga to the highway in Rajshahi city is also progressing.
 
According to WASA, the project was approved in June 2018. Construction began in July 2023. The project is scheduled to be completed by June 2027.
 
Maruf Ahmed, a resident of the Upashahar area of the city, said, “The water problem in Rajshahi is long-standing. The problem starts even before summer. If WASA can complete this work successfully, we won’t have any water problems at all.”
 
Nayan Ali of the Bhadra area said, “Since WASA will purify water from the Padma River, the pressure on groundwater will decrease. 
 
Project Director and Chief Engineer of Rajshahi WASA, Parvez Mamud, said, “Once the project is completed, city residents will receive 200 million liters of iron- and bacteria-free purified water daily. Currently, Rajshahi has a daily water demand of about 130 million liters. By 2035, it will be possible to meet 100 percent of the water demand.” 

He added, “Once this project is implemented, dependence on groundwater will decrease and water security for future generations can be ensured.”
 
Acting Director of the Planning and Development Office at the University of Rajshahi Engineer S M Obaidul Islam said, “Water scarcity will become a major challenge in the future. 

Due to lack of rainfall and heatwaves, the groundwater level is dropping rapidly. If Padma water can be treated and used, the pressure on groundwater will be reduced. Therefore, it is urgent to implement the project quickly.