ECNEC clears Tk4,323cr RIVER project

The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) on Sunday approved a Tk 4,323-crore “Resilient Infrastructure for Adaptation and Vulnerability Reduction Project (RIVER)” aiming to reduce flood risk for the riparian and flash flood-prone community and enhance disaster preparedness and response capacity.

Seven other development projects also got approval at the ECNEC meeting, presided over by ECNEC chair and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, held at the NEC conference room in Dhaka.

The overall estimated cost of the eight approved projects is Tk 12,167.15 crore (including only the additional cost of two revised projects), said State Minister for Planning Shamsul Alam at a press briefing after the meeting.

Of the total money, Tk 3,097.91 crore will come from the national exchequer, Tk 8,912.77 crore will come from foreign sources and Tk 156.47 crore from the own funds of the organisations concerned, he said.

Of the eight projects, six are fresh projects and two are revised projects.

The meeting also approved the time extension of four other projects without raising their costs.

According to the Planting Commission, the RIVER project will be implemented in 78 upazilas of 14 districts by June 2028 at a cost of Tk 4,323.47 crore. Of the project cost, Tk 4,275 crore will come from external sources (IDA).

The major project operations include the construction of 500 primary schools cum flood shelter centres, installation of 100 solar power grids, development of 275 km link roads maintaining 150-metre height to connect flood shelter centres, construction of 500-metre bridges and 1,330-metre culverts, and development of 110km community infrastructure link roads.

Five other new projects include the South Chattogram Regional Development project with an estimated cost of Tk 3,644.92 crore; Customs Modernisation and Infrastructural Development Project with Tk 1,686.47 crore; Mymensingh District Rural Infrastructural Development Project with Tk 1,000 crore; Rehabilitation and River Bank Protection of Meghna-Dhonagoda Irrigation Project with Tk 347.65 crore; and Promoting Gender Responsive Enterprise Development and TVET System Project with Tk 128.61 crore.

The two revised projects are the Expansion of South-Western Power Transmission-Grid (1st revised) Project with an additional cost of Tk 1,048.47 crore (now total cost raised at Tk 4,322.35 crore); and Urban Resilience Project: Project Coordination and Monitoring Unit (3rd revised) with a cost reduction of Tk 12.44 crore (now total brought down to Tk 32.86 crore).