Govt undertakes Tk 25,000cr integrated project
Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister Dr. Abdul Moyeen Khan has announced plans for an integrated project worth approximately Tk 25,000 crore to provide safe water to people across the country.
He shared this information with reporters on Thursday (October 8) following a meeting with a UNICEF delegation at the Secretariat.
The Minister said, “Today, we discussed with UNICEF how we can deliver safe water to the 180 million people of Bangladesh.
As you know, water is synonymous with life; humans cannot survive without it. However, if this water is contaminated or laden with germs, it can become a cause of death.”
He noted that while water is essential for human life in today’s world, it can also lead to death.
Therefore, ensuring the supply of safe water to the country’s 180 million people is crucial, and this challenge was a key topic of discussion during the meeting.
Dr. Abdul Moyeen Khan explained, “Our rivers hold abundant water, yet they are drying up. Water is being withdrawn from the upstream sections of these rivers.
The drying up of rivers is causing desertification-creating desert-like conditions-in our northern districts, while also having a secondary impact on the southern region.”
He added, “Water from Bangladesh’s rivers flows into the Bay of Bengal. When the volume of this flow decreases, saline seawater pushes further inland.
Consequently, the withdrawal of water upstream has caused a severe drinking water crisis in the southern region over the past few decades.
If you speak with residents of the south, you will realize what a critical issue access to potable water has become for them.”
The Minister concluded, “Considering all these factors, it is our responsibility to provide safe drinking water to the people.
We discussed how we can collaborate with the United Nations to serve the public interest in this regard and explored potential funding mechanisms for the initiative.”
When asked about the projected cost of the proposed safe water project, Dr. Abdul Moyeen Khan explained that the project discussed today involves more than just UNICEF; it includes various organizations. When combined, the total cost amounts to approximately 2.1 billion US dollars-equivalent to around 25,000 crore Taka.
He noted that representatives from the World Bank and WaterAid, in addition to UNICEF, were present at the meeting. The Minister mentioned that efforts are underway to formulate a coordinated plan involving these organizations.
He stated that a primary responsibility of the lead ministry-the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives (LGRD)-is to ensure the delivery of safe water to the people.
Responding to questions from journalists, the Minister acknowledged that while Bangladesh has long received various forms of assistance from bilateral and multilateral donor agencies, this aid has not always been utilized effectively.
He said, “Fortunately, Bangladesh has received substantial support and opportunities from both bilateral and multilateral donors. However, I must speak candidly: we have not been able to utilize that assistance properly.”
He also noted that the volume of foreign funding is currently declining, as wealthy nations are grappling with their own economic challenges, leading to reduced aid for poorer countries.
The Local Government Minister remarked that with the return of a democratic government after seventeen years, and through the formation of an accountable administration dedicated to serving the people, they have already put a stop to the waste and corruption that plagued the country during that period.
He emphasized that under the leadership of our beloved Prime Minister, Mr. Tarique Rahman, they have halted the misappropriation of resources-wealth created by the hard labor and sweat of Bangladesh’s poor.
He expressed his belief that, in the future, they would eliminate corruption and, as representatives of the people, truly dedicate themselves to public service.
