Photo taken on Nov. 11, 2019 shows a signing ceremony in Dhaka, Bangladesh. (Str/Xinhua)

A Chinese and Bangladeshi joint venture has signed a deal with the Bangladeshi government to implement a mega water project in Dhaka's mega Purbachal new township under the country's Public Private Partnership (PPP) initiative.

The project will be implemented at a cost of a nearly 6 billion taka (about 72 million U.S. dollars) in phases by 2023.

Chinese United Water Corporation has won the deal jointly with leading local company Delcot Water Limited to implement the project "Development of Water Distribution and Supply Facilities at Purbachal New Town through Public Private Partnership", which is the first PPP project in the water sector in Bangladesh.

Purbachal on the outskirts of the capital Dhaka is the biggest planned township in Bangladesh, with many mega infrastructures including an international exhibition center under construction by another Chinese firm.

The 6,150-acre town in the northeastern suburbs of Dhaka is developed as the first smart city in Bangladesh.

It will be linked with eight-lane express ways from Dhaka's principal Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport road. The distance is only 6.8 km.

Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK), the capital development authority of the government of Bangladesh, has been developing the area as self-contained township with all modern facilities and opportunities.

RAJUK in collaboration with the PPP Authority under the Bangladeshi Prime Minister's Office (PMO), has taken an initiative to involve the private sector in this project to ensure transparency and quality of work of about 6 billion taka (about 72 million U.S. dollars) project.

Apart from establishing 15 deep tube wells, water pipes will be laid along a 320 km-long road alignment by the China-Bangladesh joint venture namely United Delcot Water Limited.

Officials of Rajuk and United Delcot Water Limited at a ceremony in Dhaka Monday signed an agreement on behalf of their respective organizations in this connection.

Bangladeshi Public Works and Housing Minister SM Rezaul Karim, Textiles and Jute Minister Golam Dastagir Gazi, senior PMO official Abul Kalam Azad, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of United Water Phillip Weijing Yu, Managing Director of Delcot Water Limited Dayem Khandker, among others, were present in the ceremony with Sultan Ahmed, chairman of Rajuk, in the chair.

The International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the Mott MacDonald were appointed as advisers and consultants.

Officials said the Purbachal new township will get water supply through 15 deep tube wells until the completion of another project to bring in water from Meghna, one of the three major rivers in the country.