RAJSHAHI, May 29, 2018 (BSS)- Ensuring safe drinking water, sanitation,
housing and education to the slum dwellers can be the vital means of
improving their living and livelihood condition.
Disadvantaged and underprivileged populations in the urban areas face
various water and airborne diseases as they suffer a lot due to constraints
of safe drinking water and sanitation.
So, city corporation and non-government entities concerned should come
forward and work together to address the problem.
The views were expressed at a pre-budget discussion by some speakers who
urged the authorities concerned to keep for special allocation for the
population in the annual budget and international donor agencies to extend
their furthermore cooperation in this field.
BRAC and its Urban Development Programme (UDP) hosted the meeting at
conference hall of Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC) here yesterday afternoon
discussing ways and means on how to fulfill the basic needs of the slum
populations.
UDP’s programme of Engaging Multi-Sectoral Partners for creating
Opportunities, improving Wellbeing and Realising rights of the urban poor
(EMPOWER) supported the meeting.
RCC Mayor Musaddeque Hossain Bulbul, Panel Mayors Anwarul Amin and
Nuruzzaman Tito, Ward Councilor Abdul Hamid Sarker, Executive Engineer Nur
Islam and BRAC District Representative Jahedul Islam addressed the meeting as
resource persons.
During her concept paper presentation, Farzana Parveen, Regional
Coordinator of BRAC, said around 55,000 people living in different slum areas
in the city have started getting the time-fitting tools of improving their
living and livelihood condition through reducing multi-dimensional poverty
and deprivation.
To this end, an empowering situation has been created so that the targeted
people are able to get access to adequate safe drinking water and sanitation,
affordable housing, basic and inclusive services and upgrades slums.
Under the project, 17,500 youths, including around 13,000 females of 15-29
age group, are getting empowerment and entrepreneurship privileges through
need-based promotional activities. The project intends to promote socio-
economic empowerment of the beneficiary people.
Mayor Bulbul says basic needs of the slum dwellers will be fulfilled
through collaborative efforts.