The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) on Tuesday approved a project for water preservation and safe water supply’ with an estimated cost of Tk 374.51 crore, aiming to reduce dependence on groundwater for safe water supply.The approval for the project, titled ‘Pond/large pond/water bodies in Zila Parishads re-excavation/renovation came at the weekly Ecnec meeting held at the NEC conference room with Ecnec Chairperson and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.
Briefing reporters after the meeting, Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal said a total of five projects were approved at the meeting with an estimated cost of Tk 987.80 crore.”Of the total project cost, Tk 974.31 crore will come from the national exchequer while Tk 13.49 crore from the own fund of the organisation concerned,” he said.The minister said all the approved projects are new ones.He said some 809 ponds, large ponds, water bodies in 42 districts will come under the re-excavation/renovation project and those have been selected by field-level executive engineers through physical inspections.Under this project, 809 ponds will be re-excavated and of them 574 will have sand filtered (PSF). Besides, there will be 225 solar PSF along with 10 pond water filtration system.The aims of the project are to ensure sustainable, green and beautiful development, harvest rainwater and reduce dependence on groundwater and expand groundwater tables and rural water supply areas.The other projects approved at the meeting are construction of Rangpur divisional headquarters with Tk 76.63 crore, land acquisition and rehabilitation for setting up 300-400 MW super critical coal-based power plant in Munshiganj with Tk 283.29 crore, development of connecting road for Rupganj Jalshiri Abasan with Tk 102.66 crore and construction of officers’ mess complexes and residents with other related works for the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI) at Dhaka Cantonment with Tk 150.71 crore.
source:UNB
