World Bank helps Bangladesh provide safe water and sanitation in municipalities

The World Bank approved $100 million to increase access to improved water supply and sanitation system in selected 30 municipalities in Bangladesh as well as to help build their capacities for delivering water and sanitation services.

The Municipal Water Supply and Sanitation Project will help about 600,000 people living in small towns get safe water through piped water supply systems. In the selected 30 municipalities that currently do not have piped water systems, the project will install water infrastructures, including water treatment facility, water storage, transmission, and distribution pipe network, house connections including meters, and others.

In Bangladesh, about 87 percent of households have access to various improved water sources, but only 10 percent of people have access to the piped water supply. About half of the municipalities have basic piped water systems, but they cover only a small share of the population in town centers.

“With Bangladesh’s rapid urbanization, both small towns and big cities need to improve their infrastructures, including water and sanitation systems, to cater to the growing population,” said Mercy Tembon, World Bank Country Director for Bangladesh and Bhutan. “Water and sanitation systems are an integral part of a modern city. This project will contribute to the government’s goal of expanding piped water coverage in municipal areas.”

The project will also help the participating municipalities improve sanitation and drainage systems. This will include investments in septage management, public toilets, septage disposal, and critical drainage infrastructure. The project will also provide equipment and training to cleaning workers for fecal sludge management.

Original source: World Bank
Published on 01 July 2019