80m people at arsenic risk

Replying to Md Amzad Hossain Sarkar, he said to face the arsenic threat the government recently had approved "Bangladesh Arsenic Policy 2004" and "Mitigation Plan." The minister said it would help tackle the problem of the chemical poisoning of groundwater.

"Under this policy steps have been taken to supply safe water in different parts of the country," he told the House.

Tap here to add The Daily Star as a trusted source

The government, giving top priority to solving the problem, is implementing 14 projects to provide safe water to arsenic-prone areas.

Work for extension of water pipeline under Dhaka Wasa has been taken up in Jurain, Maniknagar, Daniya, Mowartek, Jafrabad, Mohammadpur, Agargaon, Uttara, Rampura and other areas, which will be completed within the current fiscal year, he said in reply to another question from MA Hashem.

To a question from Md Mashiur Rahman Ranga, he said under a Three Year Rolling Investment Programme (TYRIP) 2003-06 a plan has been made for establishing 80,000 different sources of water to ensure pure drinking water in the rural areas.

In reply to a question from Rowshan Ershad, he said that to provide safe drinking water in rural areas under GOB-4 project, 4,700 deep tubewells in upazials, 1010 deep (Tara), 2342 tubewells, 1986 Tara, 305 PSF, 1085 ring wells, 600 wells/reestablishing water sources and to supply water through pipeline in 92 villages are underway.

Replying to another question from Maj (retd) Manjur Kader, Bhuiyan said the government had taken initiative to implement two projects for water treatment in Dhaka metropolitan area.

The government has taken up the second phase of construction work for Syedabad Water Treatment Plant, which he said would produce 22.50 crore litres of water. If finance for the project can be ensured, the project is likely to be completed by year 2007.

He said with a capacity of producing 45 crore litres of water a day, a project to construct another treatment plant had been taken up by establishing intake at Mowa point on the Padma River. If finance can be ensured, the project is likely to be completed by 2008.

Bhuiyan told the lawmakers that against the demand for 200 crore liters of water a day in Dhaka metropolis, the Wasa can produce 160 crore litres.