The government is going to set up the third phase of the surface water treatment plant in the capital's Sayedabad where 45 crore litres of water will be treated per day.

The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) in a meeting at the planning ministry yesterday approved the Tk 4,597 crore Sayedabad Water Treatment Plant-phase three. Three European donor agencies will provide Tk 3,053 crore for the project.

According to the Wasa plan, the third phase is completed by 2020, the total capacity of the three plants will be 90 crore litres.

After the meeting, Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal said at present 78 percent of water being treated come from underground, which is reducing the water level by two to three metres every year.     

But the third phase of the plant will use surface water, he added.

According to the proposal, water will be drawn from the river Meghna for the first and second plants as well.

The meeting yesterday upped the cost of the Karnaphuli Water Supply Project by 22 percent taking it to Tk 1,848 crore with Japan financing more than half the project.

The deadline for the project has been extended to 2016.

The Ecnec yesterday also okayed five other projects worth Tk 769 crore, including setting up an Industrial Park at Tangail, developing roads in Chittagong City Corporation area using asphalt plant.