Training Course on GIS in DPHE.

5-days long training course on Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for the 12 Assistant/ Sub-Assistant Engineers of Department of Public Health Engineering was held from 17th December to 22nd December' 2008 under the IDB Assisted Water Supply facilities in the coastal belt project in DPHE Training Centre, Dhaka.

Mr. Md. Shahbaz Hossain, Project Director, ADB Assisted Seconary Towns Water Supply Project inaugurated the course. In the opening session among others present are Md. Sirijul Islam, PD, IDB Assisted Project W/S Project, Mr. Tushir Mohan Shadu Kha, Executive Engineer, Training Division & Course Co-ordinator. GIS Consultant from Farhat Consulting Engineers Mr. Moniruzzaman conducted the course in all the days.

Mr. Md. Shakawat Hossain, Additional Chief Engineer (Works) giving away the certificate among the participants in the concluding day.

Mr. Md. Shahabaz Hossain, PD, ADB Assisted Project, DPHE delivered the inaugral speech of the training course.

Mr. Md. Shakawat Hossain, Additional Chief Engineer (Works), DPHE distributed the certificate among the participants. Mr. Md. Sirijul Islam, PD, IDB Project seen in the picture.

Water quality testing in a newly installed tubewell.

Monwar Ali

Newly Installed Tubewell in SADR affected Bagerhat District, Bangladesh

Gas is coming out from a newly installed Deep Tubewell in Lalmohan Upazila under Bhola Dist, Bangladesh

Deep Tubewell in Lalmohan Upazila under Bhola Dist. DPHE

WORLD TOILET DAY ON 19th NOVEMBER-SANITATION FOR ALL

World Toilet Day on 19th November reminds us that over 2.6 billion people lack any form of 'improved' sanitation; one-sixth of the world's population get their water from sources contaminated by human and animal faeces; half of all people in developing countries have an illness related to sanitation and water quality; and every six seconds, a child dies of diarrhoea.

Sanitation has enormous economic, social and ecological implications, trapping developing countries in a vicious circle of poverty. Safe drinking water and sanitation are crucial in the fight to end world poverty. CIWEM finds it unacceptable that the Millennium Development Goal to halve the amount of people without access to basic sanitation is arguably the goal farthest from being reached.
CIWEM Director of International Development, Paul Horton, says: “I think that in the International Year of Sanitation it is imperative that the sanitation target set under MDG Seven is reviewed and an honest assessment made of the progress, or lack, towards achieving the aim of reducing by half the number of people without access to sanitation. The definition of basic sanitation in the target should be enhanced to incorporate the standards used by the Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) and, linked to the JMP, there should be an audit process to ensure that data collected is of robust quality. At a time when the world is facing ever more volatile weather systems due to climate change, access to proper sanitation is a fundamental human right, one that is in danger of never being met unless the MDG target is reviewed and a realistic plan of action is developed.”

Source: European Water News

THIRD SACOSAN- Field Visits to Kurukshtra on 17th November 2008

Mr. Md. Mustafizur Rahman, Chief Engineer, Department of Public Health Engineering, Govt. of Bangladesh seen along with the participants in to have an overview of the rural sanitation projects in Kurukshtra, Haryana, India on 17th November' 2008.

LOGO-International Year of SANITAION 2008

Third SACOSAN (South Asian Conference on Sanitation) Starts in New Delhi

Indian Prime Minister’s speech at the Third South Asian Conference on Sanitation

November 18, 2008New Delhi

“I am delighted to be here today at the Third South Asian Conference on Sanitation. This Conference has a very special significance because the year 2008 has been declared as the International Year of Sanitation.

Sanitation has a strong connection not only with personal hygiene but also with human dignity and well-being, public health, nutrition and even education. Mahatma Gandhi had once said “Sanitation is more important than independence”. He made cleanliness and sanitation an integral part of the Gandhian way of living. His dream was total sanitation for all.
The past record in providing sanitation facilities particularly in our region of South Asia has not been very encouraging. A fact sheet on the International Year of Sanitation states that nearly 2.6 billion people including a billion children lack access to effective sanitary facilities resulting in avoidable infant mortality. In our region, nearly a billion people are without effective sanitation services. This is a major challenge and will require an all out effort by each of our seven countries.

I am happy that things are changing and changing for the better. In recent years, all the countries in South Asia are working on making sanitation a priority development investment. It is our solemn obligation duty to ensure that every citizen South Asia has access to a functioning toilet.

In India we have worked hard to correct the neglect of the past in this vital area. In the past five years, the government has increased investment in rural sanitation by as much as six times and I compliment my colleague Dr. Raghuvansh Prasad Singh for having brought a dedicated spirit to give guidance to this vital programme.

The big change in the Indian effort on rural sanitation came when we began to use the energy of our local bodies for sanitation. An incentive-based “Nirmal Gram Puraskar” or Clean Village Award was crafted into our campaign for total sanitation. This has led to community leadership taking up the campaign to bring about total sanitation in our villages as their priority concern. Panchayats are competing with each other to win the Nirmal Gram Puraskar. This mobilization of the resources of the civil society is a very shining example of the initiatives that our Ministry of Rural Development has taken in recent years.

I wish to place a few general issues for your consideration.

First, sanitation issues need to be given priority in our development policy approaches. Its cross cutting implications need deep study and greater understanding. The role of community leadership in changing old habits and ways of thinking will be crucial as our own experience has shown. The capacities of our rural and urban local bodies to address these issue from both social and economic angles will need to be enhanced.

Second, sanitation has to be located in an integrated framework of public health policy to ensure that sanitation activities are indeed adequately funded. We know for example that something as simple as washing hands properly can check 50% of the diarrhoea cases in our country. Provision of safe drinking water can also greatly help to contain the incidence of many water borne diseases. Similarly, provision of toilets near the habitat can protect our women against many stomach related diseases. Therefore, conscious efforts have to be made to invest in hygiene consciousness and sanitation as part of a holistic public health policy.

Third is the area of technology. We need to develop sanitation technologies for diverse eco-systems. Advances in science and technology make it possible as never before in human history that chronic poverty and ill health do not have to be the inevitable lot of a majority of human race. The new technologies have to be affordable and sustainable. This is a technology challenge we must work on, using both modern science and traditional wisdom and knowledge. We know that advanced technologies exist for toilets used in pir space programmes. We also know that traditional water systems were engineered in our villages to optimize scarce resources including the use of water. We should, therefore, use scientific ingenuity to take us to the next generation of sanitation technologies.

Fourth, we need to address the issue of sustainability. I am told that 20% of the toilets built in our country are not functional because of a variety of factors, from poor construction to the lack of adequate maintenance. We need, therefore, to build local capacity in construction and maintenance of sanitation facilities.

We have been, for some time, advocating a “barefoot engineers” programme where rural youth are trained in multiple engineering skills to repair agricultural pumpsets, handpumps, rural household power connections, agricultural implements and sanitation facilities. In our country we have conceived of a major national initiative for skill development. I hope that we will be able to integrate training of barefoot engineers into this national plan.

We will be very happy to share our experience with other countries of South Asia and also to learn and gain from their experience in tackling problems of rural sanitation.

We should look upon human waste as a resource to be recycled and reused so that it does not contaminate our land or water. This is a particular challenge in our fast urbanising habitats. The more we urbanize and industrialize, this challenge will gain in importance and sooner we get prepared to tackle it, the better it is for all.

I am happy that one of the themes of your conference is “Sanitation beyond toilets”. We should explore new models of solid and liquid waste management through innovative and even income generating schemes.

I am very happy that the governments of South Asia are cooperating on the issues that really matter to our teeming millions. The Conference should set out a regional agenda for action on the theme of your Conference “Sanitation for Dignity and Health”. Let us work together to realize Gandhi’s clarion call for total sanitation and assure a life of dignity and good health to all citizens of South Asia. Good sanitation should be a birthright of every citizen of South Asia. Through these words, I once again extend a very warm welcome to all the Ministers and Delegates from other countries of South Asia. I wish your deliberations all success.”

Rural Water Supply Status and Coverage up to June-2008 in Bangladesh

100% Sanitation (Latrine Coverage) by 2010 in Bangladesh.

The United Nations declared its Millennium Development Goals (MDG) in 2000. Subsequently the World Summit for Sustainable Development (WSSD) held in Johannesburg of South Africa put special emphasis on sanitation among other issues. The summit adopted the resolution to reduce the unsaved population of 2400-millions sanitation by 50% within 2015 and to achieve universal sanitation coverage by 2025. As a follow up, Government of Bangladesh organized South Asian Conference on Sanitation (SACOSAN) in October 2003 for South Asian Countries. 300 experts and representatives from 9 countries participated in the conference. The participants expressed their determination through the Dhaka Declaration for promotion of sanitation in the region.

To put emphasis on sanitation, the Government of Bangladesh has declared sanitation for all by 2010 as an approach for reduction of child death from water borne diseased, protection of environment and reduction of poverty. With the coordinated efforts of all government partners, non-government agencies and Local Government Institutions (LGIs) the Local Government Division is committed to realise declared targets by the stipulated time.

Local Government Division of the Government of Bangladesh carried out nation-wide baseline sanitation survey in 2003 involving government and local government Institutions and acquired relevant information to prepare a comprehensive plan to achieve the sanitation target. The summary of the baseline survey is presented below:

The Government of Bangladesh has taken up an extensive programme of “National Sanitation Campaign” in order to ensure Government’s Commitment of achieving 100% sanitation by the year 2010. In this regard the month of October, each year has been declared Sanitation month.

Government of Bangladesh hosted SACOASN (South Asian Conference on Sanitation), 2003 in October in order to (i) assess the state of Sanitation & Hygiene, sharing experience and lessons learnt in the region (ii) raise the profile of Sanitation & Hygiene in South Asian following (WSSD) (iii) generate political commitment through a joint declaration and (iv) strengthen leadership/advocacy for improved sanitation & hygiene in South Asia.

Local Government Division of Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives has allocated 20% of the Upazila (Sub-District) development grant for improvement of sanitation. In this regard a guideline has been formulated for proper utilization of the aforesaid grant. In case of City corporations and Municipalities, Government also earmarked 20% of the development grant for improvement of sanitation.

Task Forces/WATSAN Committees with definite terms of reference have been formed in the National, City Corporations, District, Municipality, Upazila, Union and Ward levels to materialize the national sanitation programme.

Local Government Division of Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives has adopted a “National Sanitation Strategy” to reach the target.

Local Government Division declared additional development grants to Municipality/Upazila Parishad/Union Parishad and awards to head of those Local Govt. Institutions for achieving 100% sanitation under their jurisdiction. Up to March 2008, 1264 Union Parishads, 104 Upazila Parishads, 55 Pourashavas and 4 Districts have achieved 100% sanitation coverage.

Local Government Division of Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives had adopted a policy to provide sanitary latrine sets to “Hard-core Poor” free of cost, who will install the latrine set and construct its superstructure of their own.

Sanitation (Latrine Coverage) from October 2003 to March 2008:

Future Challenges:

Sustainability: -

Sustainability of Sanitation System adopted by the people is a major challenge; Efforts are to be taken to ensure sanitation practices by the people as everyday routine work. Hard-Core poor people may shift to their old practice of open defecation, once their latrine needs major maintenance and rehabilitation. Routine hygiene practices such as latrine use, hand washing after defecation and cleaning child’s bottom, before taking food etc. must be followed by all members of a household. Total sanitation measures are to be adopted to ensure a safe and healthy environment.

Alongside achievement of 100% sanitation by all, Government has taken steps to provide hygiene education total sanitation for everybody. Through Local Govt. institutions and NGOs working in the locality, government has started providing hygiene education and motivating people to adopt total sanitation practices, such as clean courtyard, solid waste disposal, drainage of storm and domestic water. But this is a gigantic task and it needs active co-operation from donors, NGOs and others stakeholders.

Sanitation in Urban areas:

Sanitation practices among city dwellers in core areas in general are good. But the condition in urban slums and fringes are in a bad shape and need proper attention. Slum dwellers in City Corporations and Municipal areas lack provision of adequate safe drinking water, sanitary latrines, proper drainage facilities as well as hygienic practices. Land ownership and availability of space are major constraint. Sanitation coverage in urban areas is not increasing rapidly, due to absence of sanitation in slums and fringe areas. Immediate attention is necessary to improve the sanitation. Government is allocating additional budget to address the problem. But this is a huge task and lot of money and effort is required to ensure safe water, proper sanitation and hygienic practices. International donor agencies, NGOs and other stakeholders can come forward in this respect.
All the above problems are major challenges in the way to attain total sanitation by 2010. These problems are huge in nature and magnitude. UN agencies, international donors, international and national NGOs and other stakeholders can come forward united, alongside the government to solve this problem and support government in its campaign to provide total sanitation by the year 2010.