Abu Sazzad :Bangladesh must ensure pure drinking water and well sanitation system for the low income areas (LICs) for achieving the vision of the government to become a middle- income country by 2021, said Ewout Van Galen, Director Programmes of Simavi on Tuesday.Simavi , a Netherland based non government organization, along with Dhaka Wasa and Vitens Evides has implementing several water and sanitation projects in different areas of Dhaka City for LICs to improve their livelihood. Talking to The New Nation, the programme director said, out of Dhaka 15 million people and 3 million inhabitants in the city are facing huge trouble for clean water and sanitation problem mainly in the LICs areas.Bangladesh is one of the developing countries has made considerable progress during last few decade in respect of eradicating poverty and hunger along with number of other indicators of Millenium Development Goals(MDGs), observed Ewout Van Galen.Still some indicators have been facing challenges to reach expected level of targets, he said.Most of the LICs are leading their life very miserably for the concerned people’s irresponsibility’s, claimed the project director.He has underscored the need for improving water and sanitation system to avoid unhygienic problem for the LICs.”We are jointly working with Dhaka Wasa to resolve the problem for the betterment of the LICs”, he said.More than thirty-five million people are living in various cities in Bangladesh and it is estimated that, this number will be reached in fifty million by the year 2015, he pointed.They are the most destitute, vulnerable and lead in inhuman life, he said.As a human being, definitely we have to assist the underprivileged people of Bangladesh as part our corporate social responsibilities, he also said.People mainly come from the rural areas to find work in Dhaka with a view to change their life style but finding no other alternatives they goes to live in low income areas, he observed.Water supply in LICs are generally charactarised by poor environmental conditions and limited water and sanitation facilities that result in poor hygienic conditions and low health qualities, he said.Water supply in LICs is currently illegally arranged and house owners make illegal connections to DWASA’s water network and sell this water at high prices. The quality of illegal made connections is usually very poor with high risks of contamination, he observed.Public awareness about the importance of health and hygienic practices is relatively low, he claimed.Taking about their activities for the improvement of livelihood of LICs, some 22,338 inhabitants of Dhamalkot have access the legal facilities of water provided by DWASA , Simavi and Vitnes Evides International. Local non government NGOs like DORP, ASHA are assisting them to implement such kind of projects for the well being of low income areas people, he said.The Bangladeshi government is sincerely working for the betterment of the underprivileged people but transparency in every stage is must for ensuring a sustainable economy, he said.Senior Programme officer of Simavi said, we have still to do more for the betterment of the LICs because they are leading a life-in-death situation. We are dedicated to ensure pure drinking water and sanitation problem in not only Bangladesh but also all developing countries.AHM Foysoul, Media Manager of DORP said that the institutions along with the developing partners are cordially working fro the betterment of the low income group people.
