WB to provide $175m for Ctg water, sanitation project
Thursday, 11 February 2010
FE Report
The World Bank (WB) would provide roughly US$175 million credit in soft terms for implementation of the proposed Chittagong Water Supply Improvement and Sanitation Project (CWSISP) of the government to improve the sustainability, reliability and affordability of the water, sewerage and stormwater drainage services in the port city Chittagong.
A WB handout said Wednesday that following detailed discussions in late December 2009, the government is at present completing its review the scope of the proposed project.
Chittagong, the second largest city of Bangladesh with a population of approximately four million, continued expansion despite depleted and inadequate infrastructure and facilities for water and sewerage services making it difficult to provide reliable water and sanitation services.
Chittagong Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (CWASA) and the government, along with the World Bank, have progressed significantly in project preparation.
The project is expected to be approved by June 30, 2010.
Current water extraction is inadequate to meet the requirement of the entire population. Especially the CWASA does not reach its services to those living in the slums.
Ground water is increasingly susceptible to high iron content, bacterial and chloride content and salinity.
Unplanned hill cutting is resulting in soil erosion during the monsoon season, contributing to blockage of drains. Water-logging has become a major constraint for the development of the city.
The proposed CWSISP will support CWASA to improve its services through construction of selected water extraction, transmission, storage and distribution facilities.
CWSISP also aims at expanding piped water supply services to slum areas.
Through this initiative CWASA will have the necessary support to address long-standing investment gaps in water supply and sanitation infrastructure in Chittagong, and modernise the institution's operational facilities to strengthen its capacity.
The project may also support the government's future sector investments and institutional development programmes.
The project will be implemented in coordination with other development partners. It is in line with the Partnership Framework, entered into between the government of Bangladesh and five development partners- the Asian Development Bank, the World Bank, the Danish International Development Assistance, the Government of Japan, and the Government of Republic of Korea.
The World Bank (WB) would provide roughly US$175 million credit in soft terms for implementation of the proposed Chittagong Water Supply Improvement and Sanitation Project (CWSISP) of the government to improve the sustainability, reliability and affordability of the water, sewerage and stormwater drainage services in the port city Chittagong.
A WB handout said Wednesday that following detailed discussions in late December 2009, the government is at present completing its review the scope of the proposed project.
Chittagong, the second largest city of Bangladesh with a population of approximately four million, continued expansion despite depleted and inadequate infrastructure and facilities for water and sewerage services making it difficult to provide reliable water and sanitation services.
Chittagong Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (CWASA) and the government, along with the World Bank, have progressed significantly in project preparation.
The project is expected to be approved by June 30, 2010.
Current water extraction is inadequate to meet the requirement of the entire population. Especially the CWASA does not reach its services to those living in the slums.
Ground water is increasingly susceptible to high iron content, bacterial and chloride content and salinity.
Unplanned hill cutting is resulting in soil erosion during the monsoon season, contributing to blockage of drains. Water-logging has become a major constraint for the development of the city.
The proposed CWSISP will support CWASA to improve its services through construction of selected water extraction, transmission, storage and distribution facilities.
CWSISP also aims at expanding piped water supply services to slum areas.
Through this initiative CWASA will have the necessary support to address long-standing investment gaps in water supply and sanitation infrastructure in Chittagong, and modernise the institution's operational facilities to strengthen its capacity.
The project may also support the government's future sector investments and institutional development programmes.
The project will be implemented in coordination with other development partners. It is in line with the Partnership Framework, entered into between the government of Bangladesh and five development partners- the Asian Development Bank, the World Bank, the Danish International Development Assistance, the Government of Japan, and the Government of Republic of Korea.