French envoy visits Dwasa’s Saidabad water treatment plants
Bangladesh
French Ambassador in Dhaka Jean-Marin Schuh recently visited the Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (Dwasa) headquarters.
Fanny Nesen, project officer in charge of the water and sanitation sector of the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) in Dhaka, accompanied him during his visit.
The French envoy also visited the Saidabad 1 and 2 water treatment plants, constructed by the French company Degremont (Suez), said a media statement on Monday.
The visit served as an opportunity to renew the French government's commitment toward Bangladesh.
By providing financial and technical support to Dwasa, France is supporting the preservation of Dhaka's water resources while providing accessible, sustainable and reliable water services for all, the media statement added.
Through AFD, the French government is providing financing of 167 million Euros for water projects in Bangladesh, which are due to supply an additional 950,000 m3 of drinking water to Dhaka.
The envoy also visited the site of the Saidabad 3 water treatment plant being financed by AFD, along with KfW, Danida and the European Investment Bank.
This project would double the current site's production capacity and once complete, Saidabad would be the largest water treatment plant in Asia.
Jean-Marin Schuh said, "These projects are the results of the continuous presence of France in the water sector in Bangladesh, completing an ambitious process started with the visit of President Mitterrand in 1991 and his commitment to contribute to the major works aimed at domesticating the floods which ravaged the country."
The project is in line with Bangladesh's decision to replace the extraction of groundwater with the treatment of surface water, in order to meet the city's growing demand for water.
For this reason, the Saidabad treatment plant, like the Gandharbpur treatment plant also financed by AFD, will use water from the River Meghna.
Agence Française de Développement (AFD) Group implements France's policy on development and international solidarity.
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