ECNEC okays Tk1,182cr water management project

The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) on Tuesday approved the Climate Smart Agriculture and Water Management project involving Tk 1,182.55 crore to protect riverbanks from erosion and control floods through water management.

The approval came at the seventh ECNEC meeting of the current fiscal year with the council’s Chairperson and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.

The prime minister joined the meeting virtually from her official residence Ganabhaban while ministers, state ministers, Planning Commission members, and secretaries concerned were at the NEC conference room in the capital’s Sher-e-Bangla Nagar.

The ECNEC approved a total of 10 projects involving an estimated cost of Tk 7,447.07 crore. The Climate Smart Agriculture and Water Management is one of the 10 projects.

After the meeting, Planning Minister MA Mannan told reporters Bangladesh Water Development Board would implement the Climate Smart Agriculture and Water Management project in 27 upazilas of 16 districts under eight divisions.

Of the project’s cost, Tk 332.55 crore would come from the government exchequer while the World Bank would give Tk 850 crore, he said.

The project aims to protect 8.924 kilometres of riverbank from erosion, dredge 11.95 kilometres of river, re-dig 345.93 kilometres of canal, and rehabilitate 335.47 kilometres of embankment for developing water resources in the country, he added.

Under the project, a 2km floodwall and 16 water management training centres would be constructed while 193 inlet/outlet and six pump houses would be rehabilitated, Mannan further said.

He said the ECNEC had also approved the Tk 2,541.64 crore Enhancing Digital Government and Economy (EDGE) project to create skilled manpower through training and jobs.

The project aims to create the necessary environment for a digital economy, he said. 

The minister also said Bangladesh Computer Council (BCC) under the ICT Division would implement the project by December 2026.

The government will provide Tk 34.59 crore for the project while the remaining Tk 2,507.05 crore will come from the International Development Association of the World Bank.

The EDGE project would ensure an integrated, cloud-computing digital platform for all government agencies and improve cyber security, Mannan said.

He said it would create one lakh jobs, with a special focus on women, and train one lakh youths in digital and disruptive technologies.

On the other hand, the cost of the project undertaken to build model mosques in upazilas and districts will go up by Tk 713 crore while its tenure will increase by three years.

Only 50 model mosques have been built so far while 370 are being constructed.

Besides, the construction of 140 mosques is yet to begin though four and a half years have elapsed.

Under the initial project proposal, 560 mosques were to be built at Tk 8,722 crore coming from the state coffers.

“Of the 10 projects involving Tk 7,447.07 crore, Tk 3,682.28 crore will come from the government fund, Tk 153.81 crore from the organisations’ own funds, and the remaining Tk 3,610.98 crore as loans,” Mannan said. 

“Of the projects, five are new and five are revised,” he added.