Wasa won't dig roads anymore

Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (Wasa) has introduced a new technology "trench-less system" to install or replace water pipes without digging roads in a bid to reduce public sufferings.Local Government and Rural Development (LGRD) Minister Syed Ashraful Islam inaugurated it on a pilot basis on Old Elephant Road yesterday.Now only two small sections on the road at both ends of a 150-metre pipe have to be dug. The pipe will be inserted through one section after boring by a drill machine, while another machine will drag it for installation.In case of replacing old pipes, a sharp cutter will be used to cut the old pipe underground.They system is the part of a Tk 1,465 crore project styled "Dhaka Water Supply Development Project" financed jointly by the Asian Development Bank and the government.Around 3,481 kilometres of water lines will be replaced and extended under the project, which is scheduled to be completed by 2013.Project Director Syed Kamrul Ahsan said the "trench-less system" or "no dig system" is being used on a pilot basis on Old Elephant Road and Gulshan Road 103. They will apply the system to other important roads if they get effective result.Terming "trench-less" or "no dig" the modern most system in the world, the project director said Wasa has taken the initiative to introduce it as the old "open-cut system" in installing water pipelines creates problems for the city dwellers.Speaking as the chief guest, LGRD) Minister Ashraful after inaugurating the system said the waters of the Turag, Buriganga and Shitalakhya have become untreatable due to excessive pollution. Industrial zones around the city, tannery industry and dyeing factories are responsible of polluting the rivers, he said. The government has taken initiatives to save the rivers around the city, he added."We will reduce dependency on groundwater for supplying drinking water and we will increase use of surface water from 14 percent to 50 percent in five years," he said."Gradually, we'll reach to 100 percent use of surface water as there is no alternative to it," he added.Underscoring the need of coordination among different utilities agencies he said there is no coordination between Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk) and Dhaka City Corporation (DCC).State Minister for LGRD and Cooperatives Jahangir Kabir Nanak said the new system would play as a milestone to make Dhaka a beautiful and clean city.Lawmaker of Dhaka-8 Rashed Khan Menon said success of the government is fading due to failure of safe drinking water.He said he got huge complaints from residents of his constituency about lack of drinking water and stinky water supplied by Wasa.