US company interested to meet industrial plants’ water demand

DuPont, the world's top wastewater treatment company, wants to work in Bangladesh to meet the growing water demand in industrial plants.

Representatives of the US-based company expressed this interest at a day-long seminar at a city hotel on Thursday.

Bangladesh Economic Zone Authority (BEZA) Executive Chairman Sheikh Yusuf Harun inaugurated the seminar attended by, among others, Chris Fernandes, director of DuPont India, and Enamul Habib, managing director of Water Technology Bangladesh.

About 200 representatives of top industrial groups of the country also participated in the seminar. Water Technology Bangladesh partners with DuPont to expand the latter’s services in Bangladesh.

In his speech at the seminar, Sheikh Yusuf Harun said, “Saline water of the sea can be purified to meet the water demand in Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Industrial Estate. Various industries can come forward with proposals over how sea water can be purified for industrial purposes.”

He said by 2040, there will be a demand of 100 million litres of water per day in Bangabandhu Industrial Estate. Short, medium and long term plans have been undertaken to meet industrial water demand.

“Currently, five crore litres of water is being extracted daily through deep tube wells. Two treatment plants are being constructed to get an additional 10 crore litres of water,” said the BEZA executive chairman.

Harun said, “There is a plan to implement a project through Chattogram WASA to extract 50 million litres of water per day from the Meghna and Dakatia rivers.”

He apprehended that meeting the water demand of Sabrang Tourism Park, Maheshkhali Economic Zone, Chinese Economic Zone, and Indian Economic Zone will be very difficult.

At the seminar, Chris Fernandes said, “DuPont is going to bring forth a technological revolution to ensure safe water for the future. Modern technologies include reverse osmosis, ultrafiltration and many other innovations.”

Enamul Habib said, "We want to move forward with a collaborative approach for water purification and ensuring safe water for industrial use. It will make it easier to achieve the goal.”

Sources concerned said DuPont provides worldwide technology-based sea water purification services to meet the water demand for industrial purposes. Considering the increasing industrialisation and urbanisation, the company has taken the initiative to increase business in Bangladesh as well.