Deal signed for $200m to ensure safe water in 98 upazilas

The government recently signed a loan agreement with Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) Development Project for $200 million to ensure safe water in arsenic and iron prone areas in the country.

Department of Public Health Engineering (DPHE) under the Local Government Division and Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation (PKSF) under the Financial Division will implement the proposed project, said an official release today.

Secretary of Economic Relations Division Fatima Yeasmin and DJ Pandian, vice-president, Investment Operations, Region-1 of AIIB, signed the agreement on behalf of their respective sides.

The loan agreement has a provision of repaying the amount within 35 years, including five years grace period. The project will be implemented from January 2021 to December 2025 in 98 upazilas of 30 districts.

Following implementation of the project, arsenic and iron prone areas will get safe water through pipelines. Hygienic latrines will be installed for the extreme poor people at project areas and ensure washing system at schools and community clinics and increase its practices.

The project will include awareness building programmes on hygiene among selected people and training the hygiene workers. The project will construct hand washing centers at schools and places of mass gatherings during the Covid-19 pandemic.