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IOOpc Sanitation for all by 2010

’Inspectors’ frequent visit to slums may help achieve target’

Staff Correspondent
Speakers at a dialogue yesterday underscored the need for frequent visit of sanitary inspectors in the concerned areas and increasing associations of target people to make the sanitation programme a success by 2010, a timeframe declared by (he gdvern -
Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council-Bangladesh (WSSCC-B) assisted by Water Aid Bangladesh. Plan Bangladesh, Urban. UST, ASK. NGO Forum. Fulki, Brae and Vark organised the dialogue titled 'Sanitation dialogue of grassroots level people' at the National Press Club in the city.
Residents from different slum areas and remote rural areas expressed their opinions on sanitation problems.
Representatives from Dhaka City Corporation, municipalities and NGOs were present at the dialogue with DSK Executive Director and WSSCC-B Convener Dr Dibaluk Singha in the chair.
The speakers said as the slum dwellers face constant fear of eviction, they cannot build sanitary latrines of their own. adding that as most of the slums are built on the lands grabbed by influential persons, these owners of
slums do not pay attention to set up sanitary latrines or develop sewerage systems in the slums leaving the dwell -ers at the risk of air- and water-borne diseases.
Md Zaman, a slum dweller at Begunbari slum in the city's Kafrul area, said there are only 16 cluster latrines in the slum for323 families.
Waterlogging is a common phenomenon after a light rainfall at any season in the slum and the stagnant water get mixed with the dirty water from nearby high-rise buildings as these buildings let their sewerage water from latrines pour into the open cannels before the slums, he added.
He further said such condition of slums create serious health hazards among the dwellers.
Another slum dweller Rojina Akhter from Nowapara area under Rupganj upazila said there were several textile mills and Jamdani saree factories in the area and these factories are continuously pouring untreated waste water in the areas creating environment pollution.
Most of the dwellers in the area use river water and there are only 102 slab latrines for over 4489 families, she said, adding that the slabs and rings given by the municipality for sanitary latrines are of substandard.
She also said that a good number of
people use hanging latrines, most of which are set up on the bank of the river and on the road side, leaving health safety at risk.
Speakers said the government should strengthen strict monitoring system and must increase associations of slum dwellers and poor people in rural areas by sensitising them to achieve the MDG of 100 percent sanitation coverage in the country by 2010.
Slums in urban areas and hard-reaching areas should be given priority to reach the goal, they said, adding that the government should set up more community Latrines and water supply points in these areas.
They further said that slum owners should be put under pressure to set up sanitary latrines at their slums. Public representatives of concerned municipalities, city corporations and union parishad will give extra efforts by paying more and regular visit in their respective areas to achieve the goal.
The speakers also said the authorities concerned must ensure that the owners of high-rise buildings cannot keep their sewerage lines open.
Dhaka Wasa Executive Engineer Md Wahidul Islam Murad, DCC Councillor Maherunncsa and PSTC Executive Director Milon Bikash Pal also spoke on the occasion.