BSS, Rajshahi :
Speakers at a meeting here unequivocally called for ensuring safe water from source to all consumers for the sake of protecting the city dwellers especially the poor and extreme poor people from various waterborne diseases.
They noted that the authorities concerned should work together in this regard as safe water is the fundamental rights of the people irrespective of caste and creed. Importance should be given on quality, quantity, governance and social accountability for proper implementation of safe water planning.
The observation came in the first meeting of Safe Water Supply Planning Affairs Committee styled “Rajshahi City Water Supply Plan (WSP): Baseline Survey and System Assessment” held at Chilies Chinese Restaurant in the city Sunday afternoon.
Rajshahi Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (RWASA) and Sachetan jointly organised the meeting in association with Water Sanitation for the Urban Poor (WSUP) project and World Health Organisation.
Department of Public Health Engineering (DPHE) supported the meeting.
With Deputy Managing Director (Administration) of RWASA Dr Shah Alam in the chair, Pro-VC of Rajshahi University Prof Dr Chowdhury Sarwar Jahan, Dean of Civil Engineering Faculty of RUET Prof Dr Iqbal Matin, Town Planner of Rajshahi Development Authority Ajmery Ashrafi, Senior Chemist of DPHE Shafiqul Islam and Executive Director of Sachetan Hasinul Islam Chunnu spoke on the occasion.
During his keynote presentation on WSP Improvement Plan, Parvez Mahmud, Superintending Engineer of RWASA, gave an overview of the city’s water supply management.
Project Coordinator Sarker Helaluzzaman Liton, in his presentation on Establishing Water Supply Safety Plan for Rajshahi WASA, narrated the aspects of the project plan and it’s just concluded grassroots level activities.
They told the meeting that main objectives of the WSP are to ensure safe drinking water through good water supply practice for substantial and sustainable prevention of water sources contamination.
Besides, the scheme intends to treat the water to reduce or remove contamination that could be present to the extent necessary to meet the water quality target. There is also provision of preventing re- contamination during storage, distribution and handling of drinking water.
The discussants said the Rajshahi WASA should provide safe water to consumers through improved management, standard operations and proper maintenance of the system.
So, emphasis should be given on creating awareness among customers on water quality and active participation in establishing WSP. Time has come to establish water quality monitoring and reporting framework for operational monitoring and WSP verification, they added.
Prof Dr Chowdhury Sarwar Jahan commented that necessary measures should be taken to make the water supply system sustainable through improvement of water sources management to enhance the living condition of hardcore poor people. There is no way but to improve the health as well as reducing medical cost of the city dwellers, he added.
Speakers at a meeting here unequivocally called for ensuring safe water from source to all consumers for the sake of protecting the city dwellers especially the poor and extreme poor people from various waterborne diseases.
They noted that the authorities concerned should work together in this regard as safe water is the fundamental rights of the people irrespective of caste and creed. Importance should be given on quality, quantity, governance and social accountability for proper implementation of safe water planning.
The observation came in the first meeting of Safe Water Supply Planning Affairs Committee styled “Rajshahi City Water Supply Plan (WSP): Baseline Survey and System Assessment” held at Chilies Chinese Restaurant in the city Sunday afternoon.
Rajshahi Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (RWASA) and Sachetan jointly organised the meeting in association with Water Sanitation for the Urban Poor (WSUP) project and World Health Organisation.
Department of Public Health Engineering (DPHE) supported the meeting.
With Deputy Managing Director (Administration) of RWASA Dr Shah Alam in the chair, Pro-VC of Rajshahi University Prof Dr Chowdhury Sarwar Jahan, Dean of Civil Engineering Faculty of RUET Prof Dr Iqbal Matin, Town Planner of Rajshahi Development Authority Ajmery Ashrafi, Senior Chemist of DPHE Shafiqul Islam and Executive Director of Sachetan Hasinul Islam Chunnu spoke on the occasion.
During his keynote presentation on WSP Improvement Plan, Parvez Mahmud, Superintending Engineer of RWASA, gave an overview of the city’s water supply management.
Project Coordinator Sarker Helaluzzaman Liton, in his presentation on Establishing Water Supply Safety Plan for Rajshahi WASA, narrated the aspects of the project plan and it’s just concluded grassroots level activities.
They told the meeting that main objectives of the WSP are to ensure safe drinking water through good water supply practice for substantial and sustainable prevention of water sources contamination.
Besides, the scheme intends to treat the water to reduce or remove contamination that could be present to the extent necessary to meet the water quality target. There is also provision of preventing re- contamination during storage, distribution and handling of drinking water.
The discussants said the Rajshahi WASA should provide safe water to consumers through improved management, standard operations and proper maintenance of the system.
So, emphasis should be given on creating awareness among customers on water quality and active participation in establishing WSP. Time has come to establish water quality monitoring and reporting framework for operational monitoring and WSP verification, they added.
Prof Dr Chowdhury Sarwar Jahan commented that necessary measures should be taken to make the water supply system sustainable through improvement of water sources management to enhance the living condition of hardcore poor people. There is no way but to improve the health as well as reducing medical cost of the city dwellers, he added.
