WB increases funding to Chittagong WASA

The World Bank (WB) has approved additional $47.50 million to help improve water, sanitation, and drainage infrastructure in Chittagong, with the aim of helping about 650,000 inhabitants of the country's prime port city gain access to safe and reliable water. 

With this additional financing, WB support to the project stood at $218.50 million. 

The WB also extended the timeframe for the project from December 2018 to March 2020. The WB is providing the fund to the Chittagong Water Supply Improvement and Sanitation Project. 

Chittagong Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (CWASA) is implementing the project to build water treatment plant, transmission and distribution networks and improve water distribution infrastructure, as well as prepare sanitation and drainage master plans for the city. 

"The addition financing will help 27,000 homes access reliable water supply, by installing 10,000 new piped household connections and rehabilitating 17,000 existing connections," the WB said in a statement today. 

Under the project, the Modunaghat Water Treatment Plant and Patenga Booster Pumping Station, a major water transmission system from Kalurghat to the Patenga Booster Pumping Station, will also be built to expand production capacity and improve distribution. 

"To meet increasing demand, the World Bank is committed to helping expand and improve the supply of safe water, sanitation and drainage services in the port city", said Qimiao Fan, WB Country Director for Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Nepal. 

The credit from the World Bank's International Development Association, which provides grants or zero-interest loans, has a 38-year term, including a six-year grace period, and a service charge of 0.75 percent.

Source: bss