State minister warns WASA officials: punishment and removal if no visible progress in two months

Project directors will face punitive action and inefficient officials will be withdrawn if visible progress in implementing approved projects is not ensured within the next two months, State Minister for Local Government Mir Shahe Alam has warned.

He gave the warning as chief guest at a review meeting held on Thursday, October 29, in the conference room of Dhaka WASA Bhaban at Karwan Bazar in the capital.

He said the pipeline connection project from the Dasherkandi Sewage Treatment Plant to the Gulshan, Banani and Baridhara areas must be completed quickly. He also directed that a DPP be prepared immediately to build a water supply network in the Purbachal area.

Expressing dissatisfaction with WASA's overall administrative management, the state minister said that although the current law provides for boards in the WASAs, the government can form or dissolve them at any time. A ministry review found that in many cases the WASA boards were creating obstacles or unnecessary interference in this important public-service sector, slowing down work.

Against that backdrop, the government has decided to abolish the boards of all WASAs in the country by amending the existing law, he said.

Criticising the sluggishness of the organisation's citizen services, the state minister said daily water demand and supply in Dhaka city are both currently 3.14 billion litres. As the city's population and number of households grow, water demand is rising in step.

But he said it was deeply regrettable that no noteworthy innovation or project momentum had been seen in WASA's activities over the past seven months. He made clear that if a water crisis arises in the capital, the responsibility will fall on the government, so realistic steps must be taken urgently to end Dhaka residents' suffering.

Urging reduced dependence on groundwater to avert major earthquake risk, the state minister said 74 percent of the water now supplied in the city comes from underground and only 26 percent from surface sources. To reduce the risk, surface water projects must be completed quickly to bring groundwater extraction down to 20-25 percent.

On raising its own income, he said that as a commercial institution WASA must increase its own revenue while maintaining services, so that public-welfare projects can be implemented from its own funds instead of excessive reliance on foreign loans.

He also directed that automatic meter reading and billing be strengthened, and that an organogram with a modern staffing structure, keeping 2050 demand in mind, be submitted to the ministry.

Calling for a strict drive to remove all illegal and stolen water lines in the city, the state minister said no one would be spared even if political or influential quarters were involved in these offences.

At the same time, CBA and employee organisations were warned not to disrupt public service by exerting political influence in a service institution. He also directed awareness campaigns to stop water wastage, such as not leaving taps running unnecessarily while brushing or shaving.

Mir Shahe Alam warned that he would return to review WASA's activities after two months and wanted to see visible and radical change by then, so that city residents could be brought to a place of relief regarding water.

Dhaka WASA Managing Director Dr Md Moniruzzaman chaired the review meeting, attended by the organisation's senior officials and leaders of the engineers' society, diploma association and CBA.