ADB to provide $115.8m to improve urban services in Narayanganj

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $115.8 million loan for the Narayanganj Green and Resilient Urban Development Project to upgrade drinking water supply, modernise drainage systems, and expand green public spaces in Narayanganj City Corporation (NCC).

The initiative is expected to benefit at least 400,000 residents and support the government’s efforts to ease congestion in Dhaka by reinforcing governance in a major urban growth centre, the Manila-based lender said in a statement yesterday.

“Narayanganj is central to Bangladesh’s urban transformation. As urbanisation accelerates and environmental risks intensify, strengthening urban services is both a development and economic imperative,” said ADB Country Director for Bangladesh Hoe Yun Jeong.

The project will focus on reducing non-revenue water to below 20 percent by replacing and expanding 230 kilometres of pipeline network and installing metered household connections.

It will also introduce digital technologies, including supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) and strengthened online billing systems.

Under the project, NCC’s water supply capacity is expected to increase to 162 million litres per day (MLD) from the current 113 MLD. This will be achieved through the installation of new tube wells, rehabilitation of the existing water treatment plant, and upgrades to existing wells.

The project will increase the share of surface water to 51 percent and develop 22 kilometres of drainage infrastructure using nature-based solutions to improve resilience to extreme weather and reduce flooding.

Additionally, the project will construct inclusive green parks and rehabilitate a playground to improve livability and reduce urban heat. NCC will be responsible for the long-term operation and maintenance of these facilities.