<div style="text-align: justify; "><b style="font-size: 1rem;">Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday inaugurated the operation of South Asia's largest single sewage treatment plant in Dasherkandi near Dhaka's Aftabnagar.</b><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Dasherkandi Sewage Treatment Plant is the country's first modern STP and sludge drying-incinerator with capacity to treat 500 million litres sewage.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The inaugural ceremony was held at the Bangabandhu International Conference Center (BICC).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The plant will play an enormous role in preventing environment pollution and improving the water quality of Rampura canal, Balu River, Shitalakshya River and other water bodies, the authorities said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Constructed on the East of Aftabnagar area, the plant is being hailed as a milestone in the country’s sewage treatment.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In the plant, some 45 metric tons of fly ash will be generated from sewage sludge a day, which can be used as raw materials in cement factories.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Dasherkandi STP will treat sewage coming from a number of the city’s areas, including Tejgaon, Niketan, Badda, Banani, Gulshan (part), Banani, Ramna, Eskaton, Nayatola, Magbazar, Wireless, Mouchak, Outer Circular Road, Mohanagar Housing, Hatirjheel, Kalabagan and Dhanmondi (part).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Dasherkandi plant will be able to treat 20-25 percent of the 2,000 million litre sewage generated in Dhaka city daily.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The plant has been built as part of a master plan taken up by WASA to construct five STPs to treat 100 percent of the sewage generated in Dhaka, in a modern and environment-friendly way, Dhaka WASA Managing Director Taqsem A Khan told reporters on Tuesday.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">He mentioned that the plant is modern and environment-friendly one. The quality of water treated in the plant is good enough.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The four other modern sewage treatment plants will be constructed in Pagla, Rayerbazar, Uttara and Mirpur aiming to gain the capacity to treat 100 percent sewage of Dhaka city by 2030.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Also on Thursday, the prime minister laid the foundation stone of Pagla sewage treatment plant by renovating the existing one.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">When the Pagla sewage treatment plant is completed, some 40 percent of sewages generated in Dhaka can be treated.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Dasherkandi STP was implemented on 62 acres of land at the cost of Tk 3,482 crore. Of the cost, Tk 1,106.42 crore came from the government’s fund, while Tk 10 crore from Dhaka WASA, and Tk 2,366 crore from EXIM Bank of China.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The work of the China-funded project started on July 01, 2018. The operation and management of the plant will be run by its contractor, HydroChina Corporation, for one year.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">According to the project outline, a waste lifting station on the west side of Rampura Bridge, a five-kilometre trunk sewer line from Rampura to Aftabnagar and Dasherkandi plant and the main treatment plant at Dasherkandi have been constructed. UNB</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">bnbd24/kh</div>