WASA, WaterAid sign agreement to install 100 water ATM booths in Chattogram

To ensure safe and affordable drinking water for low-income people and water-scarce areas of Chattogram city, 100 Water ATM Booths are being installed. To this end, an agreement has been signed between Chattogram WASA and WaterAid Bangladesh.

The formalization of this three-year partnership agreement took place on Wednesday (September 9) at the Chattogram WASA board room.

The agreement was signed by Engineer Selim Md. Jane Alam, Managing Director of Chattogram WASA, on behalf of the organization, and Azman Ahmed Chowdhury, Country Director of WaterAid Bangladesh, on behalf of his organization.

According to the agreement, these ATM booths will be set up in various locations across the city under a pilot project. Chattogram WASA will only provide the land for the installation of the booths, while WaterAid Bangladesh will finance all types of capital equipment. If WASA-owned land is not available, WaterAid will arrange alternative locations through discussions with government or private organizations.

The agreement places special emphasis on providing quality water to consumers. It states that WaterAid will assess the quality of water from Chattogram WASA's pumps or supply lines. If necessary, they will also install additional water treatment systems. WaterAid has provided a Service Level Agreement (SLA) guaranteeing the resolution of any mechanical issues with these booths within 48 hours. However, if any booth remains non-operational for more than 72 hours, the organization must arrange alternative water supply measures to reduce public inconvenience. No retail sale of water directly from the booths will be permitted except through authorized personnel or automated systems.

In his speech as the chief guest, Engineer Selim Md. Jane Alam, Managing Director of Chattogram WASA, said, "This is not just a memorandum of understanding, but a joint journey for the next three years to make the city's water services more inclusive and people-friendly. Water ATM booths are an effective initiative to deliver safe water to people where they need it most. This will bring real benefits to those who spend extra money and time every day for water."

He also informed that future initiatives will include supplying water using Reverse Osmosis (RO) technology in salinity-prone areas, installing deep tubewells for low-income people, and developing an app to modernize WASA's billing system.

Azman Ahmed Chowdhury, Country Director of WaterAid Bangladesh, said, "Through this agreement, the cooperation between the two organizations will be further strengthened, and its benefits will directly reach the common people of Chattogram."

The event was presided over by Sharmin Akhter, Deputy Managing Director (Finance) of Chattogram WASA. Also present were Chattogram WASA's Deputy Managing Director (Administration) Sharmin Alam, Deputy Managing Director (Engineering) Bishnu Kumar Sarkar, Secretary Shahida Fatema Chowdhury, Commercial Manager Sajia Parvin, Chief Engineer Maksud Alam, Chief Revenue Officer Ruman De, as well as from WaterAid Bangladesh, Program and Policy Advocacy Director Partha Hefaz Shekh, Technical Director Md. Tahmidul Islam, and other senior officials from both organizations.