Advocacy initiatives from CSOs in Bangladesh leading to significant partnership from the government
Satkhira is one of the vulnerable districts in the south-western coastal part of Bangladesh. Alongside many other environmental hazards, salinity in the surface and groundwater is major challenge while the people suffer a lot with their drinking water. Under the campaign, SKS Foundation has promoted safe water facilities and sensitized the LGIs and other service providers for ensuring safe drinking water at community level. SKS has installed some DTWs at the community in partnership with Max Nutriwash Project while the advocacy initiative has ensured installation of 36 DTWs with the support of DPHE in collaboration with local UP (LGI). Being mobilized under the campaign, the community people themselves have installed 469 DTWs and 14 Rainwater Harvesters sharing the community/household contribution. The Union Parishads have also installed 14 Rainwater Harvesters (RWH), 3 arsenic, Iron Refinery Plants (AIRP) based on the feasibility of the project areas so that the community people could have access to safe drinking water.
The campaign has also ensured 1,998 off-pit latrines as a demonstration at 1,998 HHs in the project areas in Satkhira while the community people have installed 6,007 improved hygienic latrines by their own. The Union Parishads have also promoted 92 improved hygienic latrines while SKS Foundation and other WASH NGOs have installed 222 hygienic latrines at the community level. Again, the community people have converted 4,549 direct latrines to off pit latrines by their own.
SKS Foundation has conducted hygiene awareness and fecal sludge & waste management activities in peri-urban settings to keep the township environmentally safe & healthy. As part of waste management, the Entrepreneurs collected solid waste of 6,000 users covering 1,200 HHs in the Municipality area. Alongside, the Municipality authority ensured regular services in emptying the latrine pit/septic tanks of the households & Public Toilets and discharged the sludge at the specific site for its safe management. This contributed significantly to keep the surroundings clean & pollution-free.