Study on intervention in water and sanitation facilities in selected slums of Dhaka north city corporation

Abstract

Dhaka, the capital and the largest city of Bangladeshis straining under the pressure of its rapidly increasing slum residents.The dwellers are facing difficulties in water and sanitationfacilities in terms of sharing status, safety, accessibility, reliability, quality, and so on.To improve this critical situation, researchers have been trying to assess the water and sanitation services in the slums of Dhaka.Different national policies and global commitments like Sustainable Development Goals, National Water Policy, National Policy for Safe Water Supply and Sanitation, Eights 5-Year Plan, National Strategy for Water Supply and Sanitationdemand for necessary water and sanitation interventions and monitoring in the slums for ensuring water and sanitation facilities for all. In line with this, the study identifies the types of interventions by different organizations involving FGDs, assesses the level of service through HH questionnaire surveys applying relevant criteria, indicators and forming indices, and addresses sustainability of the interventions derived fromthe results of level of service and conducting KIIs. The slum dwellers, leaders, managers and the relevant working organizations were involved in the data collection process. According to DNCC record, and FGDs; different NGOs (national and international) work at the field level regarding water and sanitation facilities. Construction activities involved establishment of new tube wells, water platforms, establishment of new latrine superstructures, toilet platforms etc. Maintenance works included enhancement of water quality, cleaning of toilets etc. Regarding level of service, the situation of sanitation is poorer than the water facilities. Considering availability, accessibility, safety, affordability and acceptability of the facilities,water acceptability index is the worst for water facility; whereas for sanitation facility, availability index is lower in the study area. The difference between the composite water index and sanitation index is significant in the slums based on whether subsequent support from the organizations after the accomplishment of the interventions is available. This indicates the unsustainability of most of theinterventions. The targets of SDG 6 call for achieving safe and affordable drinking water for all and special attention towards the sanitation needs of women and girls. But the slum dwellers are not so satisfied with the water safety or quality depicted by the lowest water acceptability index. There is also no menstrual hygiene management in any slum and the privacy index is so low according to the females participated in the HH questionnaire survey reflecting thewomen and girls are not being given specific considerations complying the targets of SDG 6. According to 8th 5-years plan, the capacity of local government needs to be strengthened to provide universal water and sanitation to all. This study would be helpful for the local level authority to comprehend and manage the water and sanitation services in the slums and integrate the local level plans with the goals and targets of the national policies and the global commitments.