WaterAid, SIDA sign Tk 450m co-op deal

FE Report International development organisation WaterAid, Bangladesh and Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) Sunday signed a cooperation agreement to help the country's urban poor with access to safe water, hygiene and sanitation, said a release. According to the deal, SIDA will assist the urban poor in the three major cities -- Dhaka, Chittagong and Khulna -- through WaterAid by setting up public and mobile toilets with a financial support of SEK (Swedish Krona) 41 million (BDT 450 million). The project will be implemented through various local partner NGOs over the next five years. Ambassador of Sweden to Dhaka Anneli Lindahl Kenny and country representative of WaterAid Dr Khairul Islam signed the accord on behalf of their respective parties in a ceremony held in the Swedish Embassy. "The project will directly serve over 0.3 million urban poor people in the three cities through water, sanitation and hygiene (WaSH) services, and around 1.6 million floating users through mobile and public toilets. "We know the needs of vulnerable urban people living in slums regarding sanitation and clean water. We are happy to invest in improving environmental health for their wellbeing and dignity," Lindahl Kenny said.