ADB Approves $160 Million Loan to Improve Sewerage System in Khulna, Bangladesh
New Delhi: The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $160 million loan to establish a sustainable and inclusive sewerage system in Khulna, Bangladesh’s third-largest city and center of south–west economic corridor.
The Khulna Sewerage System Development Project will develop a centralized sewerage system that will benefit 880,000 residents in the city. It will include a 269-kilometer (km) sewer network, eight pumping stations, two sewage treatment plants, and about 27,000 property-level sewer connections. A fecal sludge treatment plant will also be part of the project to provide inclusive sanitation services to areas where sewer connections are not feasible. This project builds on an earlier ADB-funded project, which improved Khulna’s water supply for 875,000 beneficiaries by switching the water source from groundwater to surface water.
“This project continues ADB’s commitment to support the Government of Bangladesh’s efforts to meet people’s basic needs amid rapid urbanization and growth through effective sewage management,” said ADB Urban Development Specialist for South Asia Jaemin Nam. “In addition to infrastructure improvements, the project will embark on a citywide sanitation and hygiene campaign to raise awareness on safe sanitation services.”
Khulna has a population of about 1.5 million and a population density of 6,877 people per square km, well above the national average of 1,240 people per square km. Commercial and industrial activity is expected to grow in the coming years, and this will further put pressure on urban services and infrastructure, including sewage management.
The project will strengthen the institutional capacity of the Khulna Water Supply and Sewerage Authority in sewage management services, including asset management, project preparation and management, and introduction of sewerage tariff policy.
ADB is committed to achieving a prosperous, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable Asia and the Pacific, while sustaining its efforts to eradicate extreme poverty. Established in 1966, it is owned by 68 members—49 from the region.