Finance and Planning Minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury on Friday said a new model has been initiated as a pilot project in two wards of Patenga to resolve the water crisis in the city.

“Chattogram city dwellers have been experiencing a crisis of clean water...Residents in marginalized wards are enduring significant difficulties due to this water shortage, which emerged as a major concern for the community," he said.

The minister made the remarks while addressing as the chief guest at the signing ceremony of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the project at the Radisson Blu Hotel in the city this morning.

The MoU focused on establishing a new public-private partnership (PPP) model to enhance the quality of water supply services for the underprivileged population of the city.

According to the agreement, Chattogram WASA will collaborate with Max Foundation Bangladesh and Max Social Enterprise Limited. The three entities have signed a three-year MoU to this end.

Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury and Jan van der Linden, Deputy Head of Mission (Head of Trade and Development) at the Netherlands Embassy witnessed the signing ceremony.

Israfil Khosru represented the Chattogram City Corporation, providing insights into the current water supply situation in Wards 40 and 41.

Engineer Selim Md. Jane Alam, Managing Director of Chattogram WASA, Dr ATM Tariqul Islam, Country Director of Max Foundation Bangladesh, and Yamin Faruk, Managing Director of Max Social Enterprise Limited signed the agreement on behalf of their respective organizations.

The signing ceremony was also witnessed by EJ Kruzen, First Secretary for Water and Climate Affairs at the Netherlands Embassy, which is offering financial and technical support for this initiative.

The Finance Minister said, "It is the duty of the government to ensure that clean and safe drinking water reaches the homes of the citizens. In line with this duty, a new pilot initiative is being launched in North Patenga and South Patenga, located on the outskirts of the city.”

In this context, he said the government is committed to fulfilling all fundamental needs of the people of the country. But, it is not possible to achieve this alone, cooperation from all concerned is crucial to this end.

Expressing happiness over the project, he said The Netherlands Embassy, Max Foundation, Max Social Enterprise, and Chattogram WASA will collaborate on this project.

The minister said, "The definition of economy has evolved. Previously, it was the responsibility of all governments to manage it. Now, it is no longer feasible for the government to handle everything independently.”

“We are implementing this partnership approach universally to effectively deliver government services. The new strategy we have adopted in our overall economic framework, where funding was once sourced from a limited number of avenues, is now broadening,” he said

He said that the present government is transitioning from these restricted sources to a public-private partnership (PPP) model.

“This means that the government will provide funding, the private sector will also contribute financially, and NGOs will assist”.

About the project, the minister said the model we are establishing through this partnership will be sustainable, long-lasting, and reliable.

In this connection, he said maintenance is crucial to reap its benefits. It has been observed that while the government undertakes numerous initiatives, these efforts often lack proper maintenance.

The minister said, “The entire initiative is being implemented in this manner. In addition to the issue of clean water, we are also facing challenges with water drainage in Chattogram.”

“These problems typically arise seasonally. Furthermore, we are earnestly addressing our water drainage concerns. We have engaged in discussions with the Netherlands Embassy regarding this matter,” he added.'

Officials from Chattogram WASA indicated that, as per the agreement, the three organizations will collaboratively investigate and test an innovative public-private water supply model for Chattogram City Corporation, commencing with a demand assessment and pilot project in Wards 40 and 41 of the corporation.

This marks the first formal partnership among Chattogram WASA, Max Foundation, and Max Social Enterprise Limited, paving the way for a new approach in the water supply sector of Bangladesh.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was executed following a survey conducted by Max Foundation Bangladesh and Max Social Enterprise Limited (Max Tapwater) in May this year.

The survey revealed that 164,099 residents in Wards 40 and 41 of Chattogram City Corporation have restricted access to safe drinking water. Merely 20-40 percent of households in these wards are connected with the Chattogram WASA pipeline network.

Groundwater in the region is significantly saline, with test results showing levels as high as 3,000 ppm, exceeding the national safe limit of 1,000 ppm.