'Double budget allocation for safe water, sanitation'

The total WSS allocation in the Annual Development Programme (ADP) is Tk 738.34 crore, which is only 2.58 per cent of the total ADP, they added.

They demanded that the allocation be doubled with focus on small towns.

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They were speaking at 'Meet the press' organised by Water Aid Bangladesh that is working with 15 partner organisations to provide WSS in 21 districts.

Speakers said implementation rate of the ADP is not satisfactory which stands at only 70 to 80 per cent, but per month it needs to cover a total of 105,942 households in rural and urban areas to achieve sanitation for all by 2010.

While presenting a slideshow on the basis of monitoring activities and advancement in several areas, Rezaul Karim of Water Aid Bangladesh said hardcore poor do not even know that 20 per cent ADP funds and other subsidised services are only for them.

"Around 40 to 60 per cent subsidies are still captured by non-poor, which is again a big constraint to achieve the National WSS targets. Besides, sustainability and arsenic contamination in rural water supply are major challenges," he added.

Water Aid Bangladesh's Country Director Dr Muhammod Abdus Sabur, Director for Advocacy and Policy Syed Ishtiak Ali and representatives from Danida, Brac and DFID, were also present on the occasion.