World Bank approves $170 million for better sanitation in Dhaka
The project will upgrade toilets and install communal septic tanks to improve the quality of living in slum and low-income housing areas
The World Bank approved $170 million on Friday to improve sanitation services in Dhaka to help develop the city's livability which will benefit around 1.5 million people.
The Dhaka Sanitation Improvement Project will treat sewage and septage to reduce inland flooding and water pollution. It will also provide 50,000 new household sewer connections.
The project will upgrade toilets and install communal septic tanks to improve the quality of living in slum and low-income housing areas.
"About 3.5 million people living in Dhaka's low-income communities, especially women suffer most from poor sanitation and high levels of pollution," said Mercy Tembon, country director of World Bank for Bangladesh and Bhutan.
"This project will help ensure safe sanitation, which is essential for reducing public health risks as well as extreme poverty," she added.
The project will help construct a new Sewage Treatment Plant at Pagla area with a capacity of treating about 150 million litres of domestic wastewater per day.
"By reducing the volume of untreated wastewater and faecal sludge into drainage canals and water bodies, the project will decrease the risk of inland floods and thus lessen the risks of water contamination," said Arif Ahamed, team leader of the Dhaka Sanitation Improvement Project.
The project will also support Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (DWASA) to improve efficiency in sanitation service delivery. It will help strengthen the management information system (MIS) and Geographic Information System (GIS) for sanitation and IT-enabled customer complaints management system. The project will also help provide trainings to DWASA officials.
The project will receive a scale-up facility credit from the World Bank's International Development Association (IDA), with a 34-year term, including a four-year grace period. It also includes $170 million from the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and $143 million from the Government of Bangladesh.
