Corruption plagues water sector
FE Report | Friday, 27 June 2008
Corruption has plagued the country's water sector like other economically potential sectors as around half of the expenditure earmarked for this sector goes down the drain, Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) revealed Thursday.
"Systems loss in Bangladesh's water sector especially in irrigation, sewerage, sanitation and water supply ranges from 30-50 per cent," TIB chairman Professor Muzaffar Ahmed said revealing the Global Corruption Report 2008 that focused global corruption in water sector.
He said corruption in the sector includes flouting financial rules while appointing consultants, planning projects, tendering it and implementing project works, while speaking at the roundtable discussion at the CIRDAP auditorium organised on the occasion of revealing TI's Global Corruption Report 2008.
In Bangladesh influential persons with political links with the help of engineers and other officials get involved in corruption in irrigation, river dredging and flood protection projects, the TIB revealed.
The TIB, however, applauded the caretaker government's eviction drive from various encroachers along riversides and water bodies.
The TIB did not measure out the financial quantity of the drainage, its chairman mentioned but categorically said corruption has engulfed the Rajdhani Unnayan Katripakhha (RAJUK), Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) and Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (WASA).
"A number of ministries are involved in water sector corruption like local government and rural development, agriculture, public works, land and industries," said professor Muzaffar Ahmed.
Land grabbing is a new pattern of corruption in water sector, which is being committed in the urban areas, TIB revealed.
Lakes and canals are being encroached by the land grabbers alarmingly, professor Ahmed said.
"Construction of a building over Hatir Jheel by Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters' Association (BGMEA) and its subsequent influence to protect it is also corruption," said the TIB chairman.
A section of RAJUK officials are acting in connivance with land grabbers to encroach lakes and low lands around the cities, the TIB alleged.
Professor Ahmed also identified unilateral acts like construction of dams, barrages of different countries over different rivers as a corruption in water sector.
Water flow in over a hundred Bangladesh's rivers has already depleted due to this effect, professor Ahmed alleged.
But unfortunately Bangladesh has no water sharing treaty with India excepting that of Farakka pact, he said.
"A multinational agreement among five countries - Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Bhutan and China - is required to ensure better transborder water management in this region," the TIB chairman said.
Donor agencies like World Bank (WB) can come forward in this regard, he added.
"Corruption in the water sector puts the lives and livelihoods of billions of people at risk," TIB senior official Shahjada M Akram said presenting TI's Global Corruption Report 2008.
Corruption occurs in both private and public water services and it hurts all countries rich and poor, the TI report stated.
"In wealthier countries risks are concentrated in the municipal awarding of contracts for building and operating municipal water infrastructure. This is a market worth an estimated US$ 210 billion annually in Western Europe, North America and Japan," the TI revealed.
In developing countries corruption is estimated to raise the price for connecting a household to a water network by as much as 30 per cent, the TI said.
This inflates the overall costs for achieving the millennium development goals (MDGs) for water and sanitation by more than $48 billion.
Former Awami League lawmaker Faruq Khan said a nexus among government, political party and contractors are responsible for corruption.
A good number of people from civil society and TIB officials also took part in the discussion.
"Systems loss in Bangladesh's water sector especially in irrigation, sewerage, sanitation and water supply ranges from 30-50 per cent," TIB chairman Professor Muzaffar Ahmed said revealing the Global Corruption Report 2008 that focused global corruption in water sector.
He said corruption in the sector includes flouting financial rules while appointing consultants, planning projects, tendering it and implementing project works, while speaking at the roundtable discussion at the CIRDAP auditorium organised on the occasion of revealing TI's Global Corruption Report 2008.
In Bangladesh influential persons with political links with the help of engineers and other officials get involved in corruption in irrigation, river dredging and flood protection projects, the TIB revealed.
The TIB, however, applauded the caretaker government's eviction drive from various encroachers along riversides and water bodies.
The TIB did not measure out the financial quantity of the drainage, its chairman mentioned but categorically said corruption has engulfed the Rajdhani Unnayan Katripakhha (RAJUK), Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) and Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (WASA).
"A number of ministries are involved in water sector corruption like local government and rural development, agriculture, public works, land and industries," said professor Muzaffar Ahmed.
Land grabbing is a new pattern of corruption in water sector, which is being committed in the urban areas, TIB revealed.
Lakes and canals are being encroached by the land grabbers alarmingly, professor Ahmed said.
"Construction of a building over Hatir Jheel by Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters' Association (BGMEA) and its subsequent influence to protect it is also corruption," said the TIB chairman.
A section of RAJUK officials are acting in connivance with land grabbers to encroach lakes and low lands around the cities, the TIB alleged.
Professor Ahmed also identified unilateral acts like construction of dams, barrages of different countries over different rivers as a corruption in water sector.
Water flow in over a hundred Bangladesh's rivers has already depleted due to this effect, professor Ahmed alleged.
But unfortunately Bangladesh has no water sharing treaty with India excepting that of Farakka pact, he said.
"A multinational agreement among five countries - Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Bhutan and China - is required to ensure better transborder water management in this region," the TIB chairman said.
Donor agencies like World Bank (WB) can come forward in this regard, he added.
"Corruption in the water sector puts the lives and livelihoods of billions of people at risk," TIB senior official Shahjada M Akram said presenting TI's Global Corruption Report 2008.
Corruption occurs in both private and public water services and it hurts all countries rich and poor, the TI report stated.
"In wealthier countries risks are concentrated in the municipal awarding of contracts for building and operating municipal water infrastructure. This is a market worth an estimated US$ 210 billion annually in Western Europe, North America and Japan," the TI revealed.
In developing countries corruption is estimated to raise the price for connecting a household to a water network by as much as 30 per cent, the TI said.
This inflates the overall costs for achieving the millennium development goals (MDGs) for water and sanitation by more than $48 billion.
Former Awami League lawmaker Faruq Khan said a nexus among government, political party and contractors are responsible for corruption.
A good number of people from civil society and TIB officials also took part in the discussion.