A new public-private partnership (PPP) initiative has been launched to improve access to safe drinking water for underserved communities in Chattogram, with a pilot project beginning in Wards 40 and 41 of Patenga.
Finance and Planning Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury said the initiative aims to address the city’s persistent clean water crisis and reduce public suffering.
“Work has started on a new model to resolve the clean water crisis in Chattogram city. The journey has begun as a pilot project in two wards of Patenga. Through this initiative, we hope to overcome the water crisis,” he said.
The minister made the remarks on Friday at a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signing ceremony at Radisson Blu Chattogram Bay View, where a new PPP model for improving water supply services among underprivileged communities was formally introduced.
Under the three-year MoU, Chattogram WASA will work jointly with Max Foundation Bangladesh and Max Social Enterprise Limited to develop and test an innovative water supply model.
The agreement was signed in the presence of Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury and Janna van der Linden, deputy head of Mission and head of Trade and Development Division at the Embassy of the Netherlands.
Chattogram WASA Managing Director Engineer Selim Md Jane Alam, Country Director of Max Foundation Bangladesh Dr ATM Tariqul Islam and Managing Director of Max Social Enterprise Limited Yamin Faruk signed the MoU on behalf of their respective organisations.
Inge Klaassen, First Secretary for Water and Climate Affairs at the Netherlands Embassy, witnessed the signing.
The Netherlands Embassy is providing financial and technical support for the initiative.
Speaking at the event, Khosru said providing safe drinking water to citizens is a fundamental responsibility of the government.
“As part of this responsibility, a new pilot project is being implemented in North Patenga and South Patenga on the outskirts of the city,” he said.
The minister stressed the importance of collaboration between the government, private sector and non-governmental organisations in delivering essential public services.
“The government is committed to meeting the basic needs of the people. But the government alone cannot do everything. Partnership is therefore very important,” he said.
He said the government was gradually moving away from a model in which public services and financing depended almost entirely on the state.
“The definition of the economy has also changed. Earlier, governments did everything. Now it is not possible for the government to do everything alone. We are applying partnership models to ensure that government services are delivered properly,” he said.
Under the new model, government funding will be combined with private-sector investment and NGO support, he added.
Khosru also stressed the importance of ensuring long-term sustainability and maintenance of infrastructure developed under such partnerships.
“Maintenance is very important to get the benefits. We often see that the government builds many things, but they are not properly maintained,” he said.
According to Chattogram WASA officials, the three organisations will jointly assess and test an innovative public-private water supply model for Chattogram City Corporation.
The initiative will begin with a demand assessment and pilot project in Wards 40 and 41, where access to safe drinking water remains limited.
Officials described the collaboration as the first formal partnership of its kind between Chattogrm WASA, Max Foundation Bangladesh and Max Social Enterprise Limited, saying it could open a new direction for the city’s water supply sector.
The MoU follows a survey conducted by Max Foundation Bangladesh and Max Social Enterprise Limited, which operates the Max Tapwater initiative.
Israfil Khosru also spoke at the event on behalf of the residents of the two wards.
According to the survey, around 164,099 residents of Wards 40 and 41 have limited access to safe drinking water. Only 20–40 percent of households in the two wards are connected to the Chattogram WASA pipeline network.
The survey found that most residents currently buy 25–30 litres of water a day from between 85 and 110 private water vendors operating in the two wards. The cost ranges from Tk25 to Tk50 per purchase.
It also found that groundwater in the area is highly saline. Tests recorded salinity levels of up to 3,000 parts per million (ppm), compared with the national safe limit of 1,000 ppm.
