Photo : BSS

By Md Aynal Haque

RAJSHAHI, July 25, 2026 (BSS) – Rajshahi, the largest city in the country’s drought-prone Barind region, is grapplinbg an acute drinking water crisis as rapid urbanization and soaring population continue to outpace the city’s water supply infrastructure.  

Rajshahi, the city is currently faces a daily shortfall of nearly 37.5 million litres of drinking water, underscoring the severity of growing water crisis. 
 
To reduce the pressure on the constantly declining groundwater level in the Barind region and to ensure sustainable water supply to the city residents, the long-awaited 'Surface Water Treatment Plant Project' is being implemented.
 
The physical work of this mega project, being built at a cost of about Tk 4,062.22 crore under joint funding of Bangladesh and China,  has already reached 65 percent completion.
 
Once the overall work of the project is completed, it will be possible to supply 200 million liters of pure water daily by bringing water from the Padma River and purifying it, which can easily meet even the projected water demand for the year 2035.
 
Currently, the total daily water demand in the Rajshahi metropolitan area is about 11.32 lakh liters. To meet this demand, WASA mainly extracts 8.65 lakh liters of water per day from underground sources through deep tube wells.
 
This huge undertaking is being carried out in three main phases. Firstly, a modern intake point is being built at the confluence of the Padma and Mahananda rivers in Godagari to ensure the main water supply, where according to survey, there will be an uninterrupted flow of water at a depth of at least 30 feet throughout the year.
 
Secondly, a central plant with a daily treatment capacity of 200 million liters is being built next to the intake point. And in the third phase, a booster pump project and power substation are being set up in Haripur of Paba Upazila.
 
Out of the 26.5 km long transmission pipeline from the main plant to the city via Haripur, 21 km of work has already been completed. Among them, rapid pipeline installation work is underway in the area adjacent to the Godagari-Rajshahi highway.
 
In addition, 16 km of distribution line has been installed in the city and work on another 10 km is in its final stage.
 
In this project, world-renowned French water treatment technology and high-quality long-lasting pipelines of China's Jingjian Company are being used, which have been selected according to international standards considering a lifespan of at least 70 years.
 
WASA Chief Engineer Parvez Mamud said that this plant has been designed giving priority to the possible civic demand in 2035 and the expansion of the city boundary, and the completion of 21 km of pipeline out of 26.5 km is a huge success.

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.
 
Sanching, chief engineer of the Chinese contracting firm, told BSS that after land filling and leveling, the structural piling of the main site and the construction of the substation are in the final stage and they are committed to completing the work on time and maintaining international standards.
 
Analysts see this mega project as an important means of environmental protection for Rajshahi.
 
Prof. Abdul Wakil of the Department of Urban and Regional Planning at Rajshahi University of Engineering and Technology (RUET) told BSS that the groundwater level in the Barind region is alarmingly going down, so 100 percent dependence on groundwater is dangerous for the environment.
 
This initiative to bring Padma water to the city after treatment is very positive for Rajshahi. 

Sufiuddin Ahmed, Rajshahi district president of the civic organization SUJAN, thinks that long-term and far-reaching planning is needed to utilize the potential of the Barind region.
 
Meanwhile, although the initial tenure of the project was set at four years, according to the current pace of work, the concerned officials have expressed strong optimism that it will be possible to complete 100 percent construction of the water treatment plant by 2027 and deliver pure water to the city residents through pipelines.