Floating population a challenge to urban sanitation success
Saturday, 18 October 2008
A large number of daily commuters and floating population in major cities especially in the capital city have poised a big challenge to the sanitation success across the country, a media roundtable was told in the city Friday, reports BSS.
Over a million people travel to Dhaka everyday from its adjoining districts and other parts of the country and they stay 8-10 hours on an average in the capital, which has only 125 public toilets to serve the temporary guests and floating people.
Besides, nearly 40 per cent of an estimated 12 million city-dwellers live in slums and under open sky, and they use footpaths and parks for defecation at dawn, according to statistics.
"The national sanitation coverage reached 88 per cent, almost eliminating 100 per cent open defecation in rural areas. But, urban sanitation is in serious crisis," Prof Mujibur Rahman, chair of National Sanitation Taskforce Media Committee, said at the roundtable at National Pres Club.
The Local Government Division, Forum of Environment Journalists Bangladesh (FEJB) and Water and Sanitation Programme (WSP) of the World Bank (WB) organised the roundtable, moderated by National Sanitation Task Force Media Committee member secretary and FEJB chairman Quamrul Islam Chowdhury.
Experts in the roundtable said that the 100 per cent sanitation coverage seems to be a myth in the socio-economic context of Bangladesh, where more than 40 per cent people still earn less than a dollar a day.
"Under the open market economy, who will look after the pooper class of society and provide them financial supports to have a sanitary latrine," Badiul Alam, city editor of the daily News Today and FEJB vice chair, questioned.
He said, the sanitation campaign needs to be revised and be focused to slum areas, gypsy communities like 'bede' and tribals. The local government bodies, he said, must be strengthened with adequate fund allocations to do the job for higher outputs.
President of National Press Club Shaukat Mahmud said, the national sanitation campaign seemed to get a pause after political governments retreat from power. He said, the political parties should again incorporate 100 per cent sanitation as an election agenda in their manifestoes.
Shireen Hossain of UNICEF said, the technologies needs to be revisited as the existing common technology did not fit in for all areas. The flood affected areas need 'raised toilets', while hilly areas do not require any ring-slab toilets. She also said its time to promote twin-pit latrine.
She said, the local government bodies must be involved and allowed to use their full strength for the implementation of sanitation programmes at local levels. Otherwise, she said, the programme could not be sustainable.
Water and Sanitation specialist of WSP, World Bank Shantanu Lahiri said, Bangladesh must be successful in the campaign to protect its generations from diseases and have good health. The sanitation campaign would get a new vigour after the preparation of communication strategy and monitoring protocol. He informed that a meeting of the stakeholders would also be held in November.
Over a million people travel to Dhaka everyday from its adjoining districts and other parts of the country and they stay 8-10 hours on an average in the capital, which has only 125 public toilets to serve the temporary guests and floating people.
Besides, nearly 40 per cent of an estimated 12 million city-dwellers live in slums and under open sky, and they use footpaths and parks for defecation at dawn, according to statistics.
"The national sanitation coverage reached 88 per cent, almost eliminating 100 per cent open defecation in rural areas. But, urban sanitation is in serious crisis," Prof Mujibur Rahman, chair of National Sanitation Taskforce Media Committee, said at the roundtable at National Pres Club.
The Local Government Division, Forum of Environment Journalists Bangladesh (FEJB) and Water and Sanitation Programme (WSP) of the World Bank (WB) organised the roundtable, moderated by National Sanitation Task Force Media Committee member secretary and FEJB chairman Quamrul Islam Chowdhury.
Experts in the roundtable said that the 100 per cent sanitation coverage seems to be a myth in the socio-economic context of Bangladesh, where more than 40 per cent people still earn less than a dollar a day.
"Under the open market economy, who will look after the pooper class of society and provide them financial supports to have a sanitary latrine," Badiul Alam, city editor of the daily News Today and FEJB vice chair, questioned.
He said, the sanitation campaign needs to be revised and be focused to slum areas, gypsy communities like 'bede' and tribals. The local government bodies, he said, must be strengthened with adequate fund allocations to do the job for higher outputs.
President of National Press Club Shaukat Mahmud said, the national sanitation campaign seemed to get a pause after political governments retreat from power. He said, the political parties should again incorporate 100 per cent sanitation as an election agenda in their manifestoes.
Shireen Hossain of UNICEF said, the technologies needs to be revisited as the existing common technology did not fit in for all areas. The flood affected areas need 'raised toilets', while hilly areas do not require any ring-slab toilets. She also said its time to promote twin-pit latrine.
She said, the local government bodies must be involved and allowed to use their full strength for the implementation of sanitation programmes at local levels. Otherwise, she said, the programme could not be sustainable.
Water and Sanitation specialist of WSP, World Bank Shantanu Lahiri said, Bangladesh must be successful in the campaign to protect its generations from diseases and have good health. The sanitation campaign would get a new vigour after the preparation of communication strategy and monitoring protocol. He informed that a meeting of the stakeholders would also be held in November.