RAJSHAHI, Sept 19, 2018 (BSS) – The Department of Public Health
Engineering (DPHE) has been implementing six water supply and sanitation
projects involving around Taka 35.96 crore in Rajshahi division at present.
Abujar Masudar Rahman, Superintending Engineer of DPHE, here told BSS
that the projects are being implemented in different upazilas in the division
of Rajshahi, Naogaon, Chapainawabgonj, Natore, Pabna, Sirajgonj, Bogura and
Joypurhat districts.
He said implementation two major projects- ‘Special Rural Water Supply’
and ‘GOB UNICEF’- were completed during the first five-year term of the
present government at a total cost of around Taka 163.46 crore.
Installation works of 1,402 shallow tube-wells, 6.192 shallow tara
tubewells, 3,901 modified tara pumps, 1,102 rainwater harvesting plants, 131
ring-wells and 16 public toilets are being progressed successfully with the
cost of Taka 18.86-crore on Priority Basis Rural Water Supply Project.
Under Taka 1.38-crore Water Supply in Rural area Project, commissioning
works of 518 modified tara pumps, 148 shallow tara pumps and a solar power
driven pump are progressing fast.
In addition to six community toilets, construction works of 900-set of
low-cost sanitary latrines are going on at the cost of Taka 0.37-crore
National Sanitation Project.
Commissioning works of 504 submersible pumps, 551 submersible pumps with
shallow tube-wells, 392 wash blocks and 107 shallow pumps are progressing
under the primary education development project.
Works of setting up of 15.15-kilometer pipeline and four pump houses are
also progressing under the project of Water Supply and Environmental
Sanitation in municipalities located at Upazila Headquarter and Growth
Center.
Installation works of 50 shallow tube-wells with 6 No pumps were
completed under the water supply, sanitation and health education project.
“We are building and installing 25-kilometer pipelines, four production
pumps, three pump houses and one water purification plant under the water
supply in 37 district town project,” said Engineer Rahman. More than 900
houses will get water supply connection upon successful implementation of the
project.
Under the Taka 10-crore Water Supply System Improvement in Sirajgonj
Municipality project, 50-kilometer pipeline, two water reservoirs, eight
tube-wells, four production pumps, four pump houses and four transformers
with electricity connection will be installed.
Jahangir Alam Khan, Assistant Coordinator of Integrated Water Resource
Management Project, said the initiatives will contribute a lot to reduce the
acute crisis of drinking water in the drought-prone barind area.
Referring to various research findings he said there is a shortage of
drinking water in the region during dry season and the problem has become
acute for the last couple of years.
The shallow water technologies become ineffective and demand for deep
tube-wells has increased in the area due to rapid decline of groundwater
level along with arsenic contamination in shallow aquifer in many areas.
Jahangir Khan said villagers cannot withdraw groundwater through tube-
wells as the water level goes down abnormally during dry season.
He said the excessive use of groundwater for irrigation and the adverse
impact of climate change are putting local people in trouble.
The changed climatic condition has been posing a serious threat to the
overall public health in the vast Barind tract, especially Tanore and
Godagari upazilas in Rajshahi and Nachole and Gomostapur upazilas in
Chapainawabgonj.
“The fight against water scarcity and unhygienic situation is very
tough. Coordinated efforts of different government and non-government
organisations are needed to address water problems here,” Khan added.