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The Dasherkandi Sewage Treatment Plant in Dhaka is operating at significantly below its capacity, with nearly half of its treatment potential remaining unused during dry seasons. This underutilization stems from delays in constructing the necessary sewerage network, according to a report by the Implementation Monitoring and Evaluation Division (IMED).

The plant, which has an installed capacity of 500 million liters per day (MLD), currently treats only about 280 MLD in the dry season. During the rainy season, the inflow increases to approximately 480 MLD, but this includes a substantial amount of stormwater rather than sewage. The IMED report, published on July 1, highlights that the incomplete sewerage network within the plant's catchment area is preventing sufficient wastewater from reaching the facility.

This failure to operate at full capacity not only impacts the plant's ability to generate expected revenue but also affects its projected benefit-cost ratio and internal rate of return. Furthermore, the IMED report warns that prolonged underutilization is leading to increased maintenance costs as certain components of the plant are deteriorating. The plant, inaugurated on July 12, 2023, utilizes an automated Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system.

Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (Wasa) has plans to build the required sewerage network under a separate project, but work has not yet commenced. IMED has recommended the swift completion of this network. The Tk 3,370.65 crore project, implemented between July 2015 and December 2023 with funding from the Export-Import Bank of China and the Bangladesh government, aimed to curb pollution from untreated sewage entering local waterways and improve the quality of raw water for the Sayedabad Water Treatment Plant.