Housing for poor lacks basic needs

Extreme poor people living in rural housing projects Ashrayan and Abasan in Jaldhaka upazila are leading miserable lives as their houses are very badly damaged and there is acute shortage of drinking water and sanitation facilities.

The houses were built by different governments on khas land in the upazila 10 to 15 years ago.

Senior Assistant at the deputy commissioner's office Bablur Rashid said there are eight rural housing projects in Jaldhaka upazila -- four under Asrayan project initiated by Awami League government and four under Abasan project undertaken by BNP government during their respective tenures -- where 1,540 families with around 8,000 members live.

This correspondent visited Gar Dharmapal Abasan project, launched in 2003 at Dharmapal union, and found 100 families with around 500 members living there in tin-sheds.

Residents of Horish Chandra Gar Dharmapal Abasan project collect drinking water from the lone tube-well for 100 families with 500 members residing there. Photo: Star

Motiar Rahman, 55, president of stakeholders' co-operative society, said all the community tube-wells except one went out of order in the last 15 years, compelling members of 100 families to collect water for drinking, washing and bathing from the lone tube-well.

Scuffles and quarrels are common here as every family wants to collect water first, said resident Rawsan Ara, 45.

Another beneficiary Khalil Mia said latrines have turned into hell as the fittings are broken and the septic-tanks are overflowing with human waste, emitting stinky odour all around.

The same situation exists in Dakkhin Deshibai Asrayan project, initiated in 1999, where 300 families live in misery.

“With the dream of a good life, we started living here, but now the dream is shattered as rusted tin roofs have broken down, forcing us to sleep under polythene sheets,” said resident Marufa Begum, 50.

Forty families out of 100 left the Dakkhin Horish Chandra Pat Purbo Para Abasan project, built in 2008, as it is situated in an isolated place.

“We have no scope to earn a livelihood nearby as the area is inaccessible and surrounded by rivers, compelling almost half of the residents to migrate,” said resident Faridul Islam.

The situation is the same in housing projects Purbo Shimulbari Asrayan, Bhabanchur Abasan, Chawradangi Abasan and Horish Chandra Pat Asrayan.

“As per government guidelines, stakeholders are required to form co-operative society and raise funds to do development works in their own sites. They are provided training and loans, but they ignore our advice and suffer,” said District Relief and Rehabilitation Officer Md Akhtaruzzaman.

“We will look into the existing situation of the housing projects and take steps to solve the problems,” said Deputy Commissioner Nazia Shirin.