Department of Public Health Engineering
Government of Bangladesh
AT A GLANCE
Introduction
- DPHE is the lead Organization of the WSS sector under the M/O Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives (LG Division).
- DPHE has been working since 1936.
- Its area of jurisdiction covers the whole country except Dhaka, Chittagong & Khulna cities and Narayanganj/Kadamrasul pourashavas where WASAs operate.
Chief Engineer : 1 no
Addl. CE (Planning) : 1 no
Addl. CE (Works) : 1 no
Superintending Engineer (territorial) : 7 Nos
Superintending Engineer(HQs) :3 Nos
Executive Engineer(territorial) :64 Nos
Executive Engineer(territorial) :13 Nos
Sub-Divisional Engineer :29 Nos
Sub-Assistant Engineer at Upazila level : 476 Nos
Vision of DPHE
Provide safe Water and Sanitation services for all throughout the country.
- Achieve 100% coverage of safe Water & Sanitation services including their safe use and efficient management.
- Improve environmental sanitation status for desired development and building a healthy nation.
- Support desired development of the country through HRD of stakeholders.
- Meet the emergency needs of WSS during disasters.
- Responsible exclusively for provision of safe water supply and sanitation facilities throughout the country (except Dhaka, Chittagong & Khulna cities and Narayanganj & kadamrasul pourashavas where WASAs operate).
- Provide advisory services to GoB in framing policy and action plans for WSS.
- Provide support to the local govt. institutions (LGIs) in the development and O&M of Water supply & Sanitation facilities.
- Provide emergency support to restore safe water supply and sanitation facilities during & post disaster periods.
- Provide support to Pourashavas / LGIs in building capacity in WSS sector.
- DPHE mandate has been updated to materialize needs of water supply and sanitation sector in the light of following documents:
- National Policy for Safe Water Supply and Sanitation 1998.
- National Policy for Arsenic Mitigation 2004 and Implementation Plan for Arsenic Mitigation in Bangladesh. PRSP 2005.
- Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
- SACOSAN Declaration 2003.
- National Sanitation Strategy 2005.
- National Water Policy 1999.
- Sector Development Programme 2005Pro-poor strategy for water supply and sanitation sector in Bangladesh 2005
- To achieve 100% safe water coverage in Upazila HQs, Growth Centres and Bazars by 2025 with piped supply.
- To achieve 100% safe water coverage in under served and un-served rural areas with point sources by 2015.
- To achieve 100% safe water coverage in City Corporation, District HQs pourashavas and other pourashavas with piped supply by the end of 2025.
- To achieve 100% onsite sanitation coverage in rural and urban areas by 2010.
- To achieve 100% sewerage coverage in city corporation areas and 50% in district HQs pourashavas by 2025.
- To achieve 100% drainage coverage in City Corporation, district HQs pourashavas, growth centres and rural bazars by 2020.
- To achieve 100% solid waste management coverage in City Corporation, district HQs pourashavas, growth centres and rural bazars by 2015.
- To institutionalise water quality monitoring and surveillance system in both urban and rural areas by 2010.
- To build awareness on environmental sanitation and personal hygiene practices.
- To institutionalise capacity building of the sector personnel and MIS for sustainable management of the facilities and resources by 2010.
- To create employment opportunity and encourage public-private partnership in WSS.
- To face natural disaster effectively and efficiently.
Water Supply Coverage: Rural (June/07)
97 persons per public water point (83%)
But some gaps remain in under served, un-served, poor communities, difficult areas and Low coverage in arsenic affected, low water table and difficult areas).
Water Supply Coverage: Urban (June/07)
Pourashava & City corporation: 315
Piped Supply:100
Under Implementation: 68
Yet to undertake for piped supply:147
Coverage( towns having piped supply):31%
Sanitation (December/07):
- Coverage in rural areas is 86.23 %
- Coverage in Pourashava areas is 88.44 %
- Coverage in City Corporation areas is 84.45 %
- Average country coverage is 86.32 %
- No sewerage system exist in the country except a part of Dhaka city
- 271 Upazilas identified as Arsenic prone by BGS-DPHE-GSB survey in 2002.
- About 29% tube wells in those 271 Upazials are arsenic contaminated.
- About 29 million people are exposed to arsenic contamination.q
- About 8500 villages have more than 80% arsenic contaminated tube wells.
Water supply:
- Not enough perennial and protected surface water source.
- Surface water sources are highly polluted mainly because of industrial and agricultural pollutants.
- Contaminated surface water is difficult and expensive for treatment.
- Lack of safe aquifer in some parts of the country.
- Contamination of Ground water from arsenic, iron and salinity.
- Lowering of Water Table
- Urban sanitation is in acute condition with very insignificant investment.
- Hard-Core Poor have no land to build a latrine.
- Present technology for pit latrines is not suitable for high water table area.
- Pit latrines are not suitable for densely populated area.
- Densely populated area needs expensive sewer system.
- Low priority on R&D activities on sanitation.q Low Private sector investment.
- Donor assistance to urban sanitation is insignificant.
- Institutional weakness in both public and private sector.
- Pourashavas are yet to be technically and financially capable for WSS management.
- Pourashavas suffer from lack of autonomy.
- Lack of adequate resources both from Govt. & Development Partners.
- Shortage of Human Resources.
a) Policy and Management Aspects
- Approval of recommended “Organizational Setup” of DPHE.
- Strengthen WSS system monitoring, surveillance and co-ordination by DPHE.
- Broaden career building opportunity for WSS Professionals.
- Switch over to the role of “Service Provider and Facilitator” form the exclusive role of “Service Provider”.
- Effective involvement of the community/LGIs in WSS management.
- More involvement of the private sector in the O&M of WSS services.
- Provide adequate autonomy to Paurashavas and City Corporations to run water supply system efficientlyq Develop formal and effective linkage between Paurashava/City Corporation and DPHE
- Upgrade Arsenic Policy and Implementation Plan 2004.
- Update Bangladesh standard for drinking water quality and introduction of water safety plans following WHO guideline 2004.
- Development of disaster management plan for WSS sector following national DMP.
- Development of safe WSS facilities in a sustained manner to improve quality of life.
- Encourage conjunctive use of surface and ground waterq Establishment of HRD centre in DPHEq Establishment of the National WSS Information Centre in DPHE
- Establishment of water quality testing, monitoring and surveillance systems in DPHE and institutionalise Water Safety Plan.
- Adequate resource allocation from GoB in ADP/MTBF and to meet emergency needs.
- Adequate resource mobilization from other sources (ESA/ Fin. Inst. /Private entrepreneurs /operators etc
- Aquifer mapping throughout the countryq Technological mapping throughout the country
- Recharging of groundwaterq Identification of surface water sources
- Conjunctive use of surface and groundwaterq Appropriate latrines for flood prone, char and haor area, and for railways and waterways.Conclusions & Recommendations
- Approval of the entire Organogram of DPHE as recommended by the M/O Establishment.
- Filling up the vacant posts of DPHE.q Institutionalize Water safety plan, HRM and Information management in DPHE.
- Preparation of master plan for water supply, drainage, sewerage and waste management (solid & liquid wastes) for all urban centers.
- Identification of area specific technology for water supply and environmental sanitation.
- Mobilize adequate recourses, both from GoB and Development Partners.Develop and strengthen effective cooperation among nation building departments/organizations & stakeholders.
