Roundup: Safe water becomes great challenge for Bangladesh

Safe water is becoming a great challenge for Bangladesh as the water pollution in a worst manner is destroying the nature and environment, a high Bangladeshi official said here Wednesday.

While making remarks at a seminar marking the World Water Day, which falls on March 22, Local, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister Mannan Bhuiyan said every year around 125,000 children under five years die due to water borne diseases in this country.

According to statistics, in 40 of the 50 diseases prevalent in Bangladesh, including diarrhea, dysentery, typhoid, parasitic worm infestation and polio, unsafe water is one of the main elements of transmission.

Bangladesh once claimed of earning a good progress in safe water provision to 97 percent of the total population. However, after identification of excessive arsenic, safe water coverage fell to 70 percent.

Arsenic in groundwater is a major concern with over 13,000 cases of arsenicosis confirmed in August 2002 and of the total population of 140 million, an estimated 30 million people are currently at risk. It has rolled back the last 20 years of gains in providing safe drinking water.

This fall of water coverage has created aches for the heads of government, donors and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). High concentrations of naturally occurring arsenic have already been found in water from thousands of tube-wells, the main source of potable water, in 61 out of Bangladesh's 64 districts. The government, along with local and international NGOs, including the United Nations Children's Fund, have started working to save the people from arsenic threat.

Chars areas are inhabited by the very poor and disadvantaged people. Char areas are lacking access to basic water and sanitation services. One of the most challenges of the char areas is that the areas submerge in flood waters very often.

People in the coastal areas, mostly south-western districts, have been facing the hard reality of drinking saline water for decades.

Mannan said the government alone can not solve the problem of shortage of safe water. It can be solved with a concerted effort from all concerned.

WaterAid, a Britain-based international charity dedicated to the provision of safe domestic water, sanitation and hygiene education to the poorest, has been working in Bangladesh since 1996.

WaterAid's strategy in Bangladesh is to work through local partners to improve hygiene behavior and access to water and sanitation services for poor communities.

WaterAid partnership with local NGOs has to date constructed 1, 848 community water points and motivated community people to build 94,336 sanitation options on their own.

Mannan said the government of Bangladesh as part of fulfilling the target of Millennium Development Goals will ensure all the people have access to safe water and sanitation by 2015.

Source: Xinhua