BACKGROUND
Sirajdikhan is situated in the central part of Bangladesh about 28 km away from Dhaka. This Upazila is under Munshiganj District. The area lies in flood plain and it is mostly low lying. Total 14 Unions are in the Upazila of which DCH is presently working in 12 of them. There are 182 villages in Sirajdikhan. Total population is 2,72,000 of 49,475 families. Most of the people are low-income group. Their main occupation is agriculture.
ARSENIC PROBLEM IN SIRAJDIKHAN
There are 18631 tube wells in Sirajdikhan Upazilla. All of these tube wells have been tested by DCH and 8705 tube wells have been found with arsenic level > 0.05 mg/l. 5 villages have been found contaminated with 100% tube wells. 37 villages have more than 80% contaminated tube wells.
ARSENICOSIS PATIENT
134 arsenicosis patients have been identified in Sirajdikhan Upazila; 76 of them are male and 58 are female. 6 of them are below 15 years and 74 of them are between 15 to 35 years. It is expected that the number of patients will increase.
DCH ACTIVITIES IN SIRAJDIKHAN
Community Meeting
DCH facilitates community involvement in its arsenic mitigation projects in Sirajdikhan Upazila. Motivational awareness building technology e.g. courtyard meeting, larger group discussion, leaflet distribution and slide show were used to mobilize the community. Community meetings were held to discuss alternative preferred safe drinking water option.
Local GoB elected person and influential local people attended these meetings along with DCH personnel. Community people including women, the poor and arsenic patients shared their situation, needs, opinions and preferences about mitigation options with others.
Mitigation Activities – Safe Water
DCH is developing a mitigation model in Sirajdikhan Upazila in collaboration with Ministry of Environment and Forest funded by SEMP-UNDP. DCH alone has provided dug well with pipeline, PSF and RSF with pipeline in Sirajdikhan Upazila. DCH is also working with UNICEF-DPHE in providing arsenic safe water. In Sirajdikhan DCH has provided safe water to 3622 families.
Cost Recovery
A beneficiary committee was formed for the supervision of each implementation. This committee was responsible for collecting community contribution.
In case of pipeline water supply, community connected their supply line from the main tank to household by their own cost. DCH helped them to connect line.
Sustainability
Each committee selected and appointed a caretaker for each option. Caretaker is responsible for maintenance of option. He is also responsible for collecting monthly charges from water users. Each family is provided with a water card for payment. The caretaker maintains a register of contribution, state of water source and pipeline, family health card and distributes tap.
Water Quality Monitoring
Water quality of options was tested in renowned laboratories. After installation of dug well fifteen water parameters were tested. These are – arsenic, fluoride, iron, manganese, nitrate, pH and chloride. Feacal coliform was tested two times at three monthly intervals. In case of RWH feacal coliform was tested after one month storage of rain water. DCH also observed water users health condition.
Health Clinic
DCH runs a health clinic in Sirajdikhan Upazila. Every Wednesday a doctor visits there and provides health care to patients at free of cost.
DHAKA COMMUNITY HOSPITAL
190/1 Baro Moghbazar, Wireless Railgate, 1217
Tel: 9351190-1, 8314887 Fax: 880-9338706
Website: Email:
ARSENIC MITIGATION PROJECT IN SIRAZDIKHAN UPAZILLA
DHAKA COMMUNITY HOSPITAL
190/1 Baro Moghbazar, Wireless Railgate, 1217
Tel: 9351190-1, 8314887 Fax: 880-9338706
Website: Email: