Govt to take up projects for total sanitation in tea garden
FE Report | Tuesday, 24 June 2008
The government will take up a project on an emergency basis by the next month to ensure total sanitation in the tea gardens of the country as part of its commitment to achieve the target of 'Sanitation for All by 2010'. This was disclosed by the Secretary for the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Sheikh Khurshid Alam at a stakeholder consultation on 'Promotion of Total Sanitation in Tea Gardens' organised by the NGO Forum in the city Monday.
"First of all, we would chalk out an action plan with the collaboration of different NGOs as soon as possible and later, on the basis of that action plan we would take up the project in public-private partnership," Khurshid Alam said.
Pointing at the low wage for the tea garden labourers, Chief Engineer of the Department of Public Health and Engineering (DPHE) Md. Mustafizur Rahman said that the daily wage of Tk. 80.00 to Tk. 85.00 for a labour was well below the government regulation for minimum daily wage of Tk. 130.00 to Tk. 140.00.
Explaining the purpose of the seminar, Executive Director of NGO Forum SMA Rashid said that considering the frequent outbreak of water-borne diseases and diarrhea in the tea gardens, there is a great need for identifying strategic issues for ensuring a sustainable hygienic situation.
Earlier the speakers shed light on various aspects of the dire and inhumane condition that the tea garden workers are compelled to live in and urged for public-private partnership to assure rapid improvement of the condition.
Dr. Md. Jakaria, Coordinator- Programme Research of NGO Forum presented the outcome of the study on Watsan Situation in Tea Gardens.
Only 10 to 11 per cent of the families in tea gardens have access to latrine facilities.
The authorities set up 10 to 12 latrine each year but most of them are provided to labour leaders, the study found.
"First of all, we would chalk out an action plan with the collaboration of different NGOs as soon as possible and later, on the basis of that action plan we would take up the project in public-private partnership," Khurshid Alam said.
Pointing at the low wage for the tea garden labourers, Chief Engineer of the Department of Public Health and Engineering (DPHE) Md. Mustafizur Rahman said that the daily wage of Tk. 80.00 to Tk. 85.00 for a labour was well below the government regulation for minimum daily wage of Tk. 130.00 to Tk. 140.00.
Explaining the purpose of the seminar, Executive Director of NGO Forum SMA Rashid said that considering the frequent outbreak of water-borne diseases and diarrhea in the tea gardens, there is a great need for identifying strategic issues for ensuring a sustainable hygienic situation.
Earlier the speakers shed light on various aspects of the dire and inhumane condition that the tea garden workers are compelled to live in and urged for public-private partnership to assure rapid improvement of the condition.
Dr. Md. Jakaria, Coordinator- Programme Research of NGO Forum presented the outcome of the study on Watsan Situation in Tea Gardens.
Only 10 to 11 per cent of the families in tea gardens have access to latrine facilities.
The authorities set up 10 to 12 latrine each year but most of them are provided to labour leaders, the study found.