Dhaka: The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) on Tuesday approved the 'Water Supply in Rural Areas' project involving Tk 799.98 crore aiming to ensure safe drinking water supply to rural people, including the poor and extreme poor.

The approval was given at the 14th Ecnec meeting of the current fiscal year held at the NEC conference room with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.

Briefing reporters after the meeting, Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal said a total of seven projects were approved today involving Tk 2037 crore. State Minister for Finance and Planning MA Mannan was present at the briefing.

‘Of the total project cost, Tk 2011.54 crore will come from the national exchequer while the rest of Tk 25.46 crore from the organisations’ own funds,’ Mustafa Kamal said.

The Department of Public Health and Engineering (DPHE) under the Local Government Division will implement the water supply project by December 2019 in rural areas across the country. The entire fund for the mega project will come from the public coffer.

The proposed project aims to improve the lifestyle of rural poor and extreme poor through ensuring safe drinking water and also to ensure safe drinking water in case of any natural disaster like flood or drought.

In the early 90s, arsenic was detected in underground water and with the passage of time arsenic was found at 30 percent non-deep tubewells across the country, reducing the countrywide safe drinking water coverage to 74 percent, and putting the sources of safe water in rural areas at stake.

Once implemented, the project will help expand the coverage of arsenic-free safe rural water supply to 88 percent from the existing 74 percent, the minister said. However, the government wants to raise the coverage to hundred percent, he added.

The main project activities include construction of rainwater harvesting 650, setting up of some 7,000 non-deep tubewells, 12,000 Tara non-deep tubewells, excavation of 200 ponds, construction of 320 PSF alongside 40 solar-driven PSF, construction of 300 community-based arsenic iron removal units.

The Ecnec meeting approved another project titled 'Waste Management and improvement of public services project' involving Tk 84.88 crore to be implemented by Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) by December 2016.

The project envisages strengthening the DSCC through enhancing its proper maintenance and management capacities, and procurement of effective machinery, enhancing waste management efficiency and providing quality services to the city dwellers.

Mustafa Kamal said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the meeting asked the LGRD Ministry to form a coordination committee, headed by the LGRD Minister, to effectively use the expensive and sophisticated machinery of both Dhaka south and north city corporations.

The Ecnec meeting also gave nod to the establishment of Manikganj Medical College and 250-bed Hospital' at Manikganj Sadar with Tk 615.53 crore to be implemented by the Department of Health by the Health and Family Welfare Ministry by June 2019.

The Planning Minister said the countrywide number of medical colleges is 101, including 71 private and 30 public ones. Besides, the number of nurses in the country is 25,000 against the demand for some 2,50,000 skilled nurses.

He said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the meeting directed the authorities concerned to conduct mapping in case of setting up medical colleges in the country considering the availability of doctors and students.

The other projects approved at the meeting are 'Upward extension of SB/CID Building to 13th storey from 7th storey one spending Tk 43.93 crore, academic and physical infrastructure development of Chittagong University (2nd revised) with Tk 297.50 crore, integrated management of resources for poverty alleviation through comprehensive technology (IMPACT) (Phase-2) (Revised) with Tk 62.20 crore and BSCIC plastic industrial Estate involving Tk 133 crore.

Ministers and State Ministers attended the meeting. Planning Commission members and secretaries concerned were present.