Urban slum dwellers face safe water shortage: Study
Slum dwellers of Ghuntirghar and Chitarpar slums under the Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) and Rishipara slum in Narayanganj upazila are facing severe safe water and sanitation problems.
Around 70 percent dwellers of Chitarpar slum said neither Dhaka Wasa nor DCC provides direct water and sanitation services to the slum, while 71 percent dwellers of Ghuntirghar slum complained that they do not get Wasa water regularly. Whenever they get, the supply is scanty, contaminated and filled with garbage.
A six-month study titled 'Improving water and sanitation utility services for the urban poor through benchmark performance' conducted by Population Services and Training Centre (PSTC) in alliance with some key sectors Unicef, Plan Bangladesh, WSP, DSK, CUP, Prodipan and WaterAid Bangladesh disclosed it at a workshop at Cirdap auditorium in the city yesterday.
With a view to building knowledge and confidence of slum dwellers' groups and civil society organisations in Dhaka city and Narayanganj town to improve their capability for knowledgeable engagement with water and sanitation service providers and the government, PSTC and its alliances conducted the study in the three slums.
Presenting their recommendations, Anu Begum, Yunus and Rajan Chandra Das from three different slums urged the DCC and Dhaka Wasa authorities to take immediate steps to provide safe water and sanitation services to their areas.
The recommendations include providing minimum 18 hours' water supply, easing connection of water supply, inspecting and repairing water line regularly, extending sewerage line, ascertaining sanitary latrine, drain and dustbin and disposing garbage regularly.
DCC Chief Executive Officer Md Alauddin at the programme said they would take proper initiatives to extend their services in the slum areas. He sought necessary support from the non-government organisations in this regard.
Coalition For the Urban Poor (CUP) Executive Director Mostafa Kaiyyum Khan and WaterAid Policy Advocacy Director Syed Ishtiak Ali Jinnah also spoke at the workshop.
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