$21b plan for safe water, sanitation by 15 years

FE Team | Published: March 22, 2011 00:00:00 | Updated: February 01, 2018 00:00:00

FE Report
The government has finalised a comprehensive plan to ensure safe drinking water and sanitation for all by the next fifteen years. About US $ 21 billion investment package has been proposed for implementing the plan to ensure people's access to safe drinking water having modern supply system and hygienic and quality toilets by 2025. The Local Government Division (LGD) under the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives will implement the project. The Policy Support Unit (PSU) of LGD formulated the plan after consultations with the people of different strata. The plan was finalised Monday at the national workshop on "Sector Development Plan (SDP) for Water Supply and Sanitation in Bangladesh" at a city hotel Monday. The LGD organised the event with the joint secretary of the Local Government Division Zuena Aziz in the chair. Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Ministry of LGRD and Cooperatives Advocate Md Rahmat Ali was present as the chief guest. Deputy head of mission of the Danish Embassy Jen Moller Hansan, Secretary of LGD Abu Alam Md Shahid Khan, Deputy Secretary Shamsuddin Ahmed and Project Director Shariful Alam were present on the occasion. Jamal Uddin Tanneries, one of the major sources of pollution, are yet to be relocated from Hazaribag to Savar, which has been the key demand of the environmentalists. The tanneries are still running their operations at Hazaribag despite the court order to move by March. Prof Mujibur Rahman of Bangladesh University of Engineering & Technology (BUET) told the FE this. A meet-the-press event on water-related pollution was also organised by a group of non-government organisations (NGOs) on Monday at National Press Club in observance of World Water Day, highlighting the severe threat of water pollution. Meanwhile, a laboratory test made by the Department of Environment last December found that the polluted water of the Buriganga contained only 0.50-0.84 mg per litre (mg/L) of dissolved oxygen, while the standard rate is 5.0 mg/L. Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) took an initiative last May to clean three kilometres of the Buriganga from Babubazar to Kamrangirchar and one kilometre of the Turag in Tongi. The organisation spent over Tk 210 million for the purpose, but the project failed to bring any satisfactory outcome, said an official. Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon (BAPA) secretary Dr M A Matin said the government is carrying out various activities to minimise water pollution, but these are mere 'eyewash' and cannot bring any significant benefit. He said there is no alternative but to set up effluent treatment plants (ETPs) at about 7,000 industries to protect the water bodies around the city.