To chase bad smell & pollution away -- China-funded sewage treatment plant nears completion in Bangladesh-Xinhua

To chase bad smell & pollution away -- China-funded sewage treatment plant nears completion in Bangladesh

Source: Xinhua

Editor: huaxia

2022-03-07 09:42:16

Aerial photo taken on Dec. 18, 2021 shows the China-funded Dasherkandi Sewage Treatment Plant, in Dhaka, Bangladesh. (Dasherkandi Sewage Treatment Plant/Handout via Xinhua)

For millions of Dhaka dwellers, it is like a dream coming true to see the beautiful Aftab Nagar area with the construction of a China-funded sewage treatment plant, the largest in South Asia.

DHAKA, March 7 (Xinhua) -- Sharmin Akter Sharmi, a local resident of Dhaka, was excited to move to the beautiful Aftab Nagar area, a newly developed eastern side of the Bangladeshi capital.

But her excitement vanished soon after she discovered a grim reality.

Raw sewage smells were filling the air beyond tolerance, and contaminated drinking water made their life miserable. "Usually I return home after night shift duty when it smells too bad," said Sharmin.

"But now we're hopeful (about a good environment) as a new sewage water treatment plant has been launched. It is treating wastewater we're using every day and that is being cleaned and given to the river."

For millions of Dhaka dwellers like Sharmin, it is like a dream come true with the construction of a China-funded sewage treatment plant, the largest in South Asia, nears completion with a test running from last December.

The China-funded Dasherkandi Sewage Treatment Plant starts test running in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Dec. 18, 2021. (Dasherkandi Sewage Treatment Plant/Handout via Xinhua)

It took HydroChina Corporation, the contractor, less than four years to almost complete the project. "With the implementation of this project, it will be possible to provide modern sewerage service to about 5 million people of Gulshan, Banani, Baridhara, Bashundhara, parliament and adjoining areas including Hatirjheel of the city," Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said while declaring the groundbreaking of the project in August, 2018.

"We've taken initiatives to ensure environment-friendly water management by reducing the dependence on groundwater and soon the citizens will get the benefit of it," she said.

Engineer Md Mohosain Ali Miah with Dhaka WASA (Water Supply and Sewage Authority), the executing agency of the project funded by the Export-Import Bank of China, told Xinhua recently that the project includes sewage treatment plants, pumping stations and a sewage pipe network with a sewage treatment capacity of 500,000 cubic meters of sewage a day.

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, Hydrochina Corporation did hard work here, and the project is almost completed under their efforts, he added.

"The wastewater is coming from a sewage lifting station at Rampura, and after treatment the clean water is being discharged into the Gojaria Canal, so the project is an environmentally friendly project in Bangladesh," he said.

Morshed Mahbub, a businessman who lives in Banasree area, said downpour always causes waterlogging in his area when roads get damaged. "There are various problems with the sewage smell," he said.

He expressed hope that this project will help them immensely get rid of the environmental problems in eastern Dhaka.

Abdur Rahman, another local resident from Aftab Nagar area in eastern Dhaka said they are already enjoying the benefits of the project.

Road conditions have improved considerably since the arrival of the Chinese workers for the implementation of this project, he said.

"The Chinese have built this road. I think it is the best road in Dhaka city. They also made two bridges of high quality," said the Dhaka dweller.

The China-funded Dasherkandi Sewage Treatment Plant starts test running in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Dec. 18, 2021. (Dasherkandi Sewage Treatment Plant/Handout via Xinhua)

He Li, design manager from Powerchina Chengdu Engineering Corporation Limited, the design institute for the project, said the design for Dasherkandi Sewage Treatment Plant was based on China's discharge standard.

"The process is Pretreatment + AAO + secondary sedimentation tank + UV disinfection," he said.

After the wastewater is treated at the sewage treatment plant, the reclaimed water is discharged into the river for reusage, helping to create a good environment for the local ecosystem, he added.

The four primary sedimentation tanks have been put into operation, Chengbo Zhang, project manager from HydroChina International Engineering Co., Ltd, told Xinhua on the spot.

According to him, Dasherkandi Sewage Treatment Plant started commissioning on Dec. 17, 2021, and its treatment capacity during the dry season is estimated at about 350,000 m3/day.

"And up to now, we think the treatment capacity can meet the demand of 4 million people in Dhaka, which is a very good model project and beneficial to Bangladesh."

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