Munshiganj town's long-delayed surface water treatment plant at Hatlaxmiganj has started a trial supply after water samples were tested, according to the Department of Public Health Engineering (DPHE). It is the latest step for a plant that has stood unused for more than two years.
The plant takes water from the Dhaleshwari River, treats it and sends it into the municipal pipeline. It can process 0.35 million litres a day. The project cost about Tk 10.27 crore and is part of a government programme to build treatment plants in 37 district towns.
The need is real. Munshiganj municipality covers about 17.74 square kilometres and is home to roughly 25,000 families. Some wards still have no piped water. Daily demand in the town is estimated at 3.3 million gallons, while supply sits near 2.3 million gallons. The new plant will not close that gap alone, but it adds a steady source that does not rely only on groundwater.
DPHE officials said work started in 2018. Water samples were tested before the trial began. A deep tubewell has also been added so supply can continue in the dry season, when the river runs low.
The handover has been the sticking point. Last month, municipal officials said an inspection had found construction problems and that requested repairs were not finished, while DPHE said the plant was ready to hand over (our earlier report). Neither side has yet said whether the trial supply means that dispute is settled.
For residents, the next questions are practical. Which wards get connected first, and when does the plant move from trial to full service? We will keep asking.
Clean water shapes health, school attendance and small business in any town. A working plant on the Dhaleshwari is a welcome step for Munshiganj.
