Comparative study of GO managed and NGO managed water supply and sanitation facilities for urban poor in Dhaka city

Abstract

Urbanization is positively correlated to SOCIO-economlc development of any nation. However, the rapid urban growth in Bangladesh has created an adverse effect to its ove",11 urban environment. The various adverse effeds are mass poverty, prohferation of slums and sqlJatters, inadequate supply of urban facilities such as water, electricIty, garbage disposal, sanitation, sewerage, fuel for cooking etc., and degradatIon of soc1al, neighborhood and pbysieal environment. The poor are the most unserved in respect of all urban facilities. Dbaka, the Pnmate City of Bangladesh, wbere the level of urbanization as well as the rate of urbanization is higher than other urban centers. In th,S city. 70 percent people live belo'" tbe poverty line and they arc far behind the urban facilities according to the demand. Alter long years of Independcnee the urban and rural pove11y rcmain statlC in tbis country though many efforts hme espccially been taken to eradicate the rural poverty. On the other hand, urban poor are largely sufferers not only from govenmlent reSOUrCeallocatl<m for them but also urban poverty alleviation programs, The aim of this study 15to understand the Impacl of water supply and sanitation facilities providcd by the Government Organi~ations (GOs) and Non-govermnent Organl~ations (NGOs) fOTurban poor in Dhaka City. The present study has been made an attempt to compare the GO managed and NGO managed wateT supply and sanitatlOn facilities on the basis of types of f"cilllics, provision standard, performance standard, maintenance and management, and coSI rccovery sy"tem. The study is based on questionnaire survey. A total of 200 questionnaires have been admini,tered in four different sIte, m Dhaka City. Among four sites two are GO managed and two are NGO managed. Meanwhl1e, the various factllal data have been collected Irom secondary sources to know the present status of water supply and sanitation situalion and activities of GOs and NGOs in these sectors. In Ihe dala analysis, a satisfaction index and a priorily ranking techniqlle have been adopted. The satisfaction index has been used 10 know the dwellers' satisfaction about water supply and sanitation facilities and priority Tanking technique has been used to rank Ihe problems faced by thc dwellers related to watcr supply and sanitation facilities provided by different GOs and NGOs, Dwellers' are reaeled differentially w,th vanOUS aspecls of water supply and sanitation facilitics provided by GOs and NGOs. In I • maximl.lm cases, the variables of water supply and sanitation facilities have been shown the negative index of satisfaction. Various problems related to water supply and sanitation facilities have been investIgated lhrough reconnaissance, community and questionnaire survey and then the problems have been priority ranked. The development of GO managed and NCO managed water supply and sanitation for urban poor in this cIty greatly depend on the mitigation of problems on priorily basis. $0, there is an acute need to address the problems faced by dwellers' on water supply and sanitation faeililies provided by Gas and NGOs. The comparative sll.ldy has been tried to find out the problems and prospects of management syslem of waler supply and sanitation facllities for urban poor in Dhaka City provided by concerned Gas and NGOs. In this way, the formulated policies may be helpful to lmpro~e the presenl conditions of water supply and sanitation faeihties for urban poor in all over lhe country.