NGOs are playing a supportive role alongside the government to ensure improved latrine and waste management systems.
 
Khagrachari June 10,(V7N)- SanMarks-Bangladesh is working to provide improved latrine facilities to one million families by 2025. The project, implemented by iDE Bangladesh, is aimed at improving sanitation systems for rural and marginalized communities in 35 districts, including Khagrachari.
 
This information was shared at a public health improvement project orientation meeting held on Monday morning in the conference room of the Khagrachari Hill District Council.
 
In Khagrachari and Rangamati districts, the project is being implemented by an NGO called Balipara Nari Kalyan Samiti (BNKS). The orientation meeting was organized by the Department of Public Health Engineering, Khagrachari, and was chaired by Superintendent Engineer Azgar Ali of the Department of Public Health Engineering.
 
The chief guest, Mongsuiprou Chowdhury, Chairman of the Hill District Council, said, “Due to environmental degradation and various geographical challenges, water sources in the Chittagong Hill Tracts are decreasing. Water is an essential element for quality public health management. In remote areas, where the crisis of potable water is severe, managing latrines while adhering to health standards is very difficult. Therefore, it is crucial to adopt timely technology and water-saving advanced latrine and waste management systems. In this work, both domestic and foreign NGOs are acting as very important assistants to the government.”
 
Special guests participating in the discussion included Chief Executive Officer of the District Council Titon Kheesa, Deputy Director of the Local Government Department of the District Administration Office Nazmun Ara Sultana, Superintendent Engineer of the Department of Public Health Engineering for the Chittagong Hill Tracts Region Azgar Ali, UNICEF Chief of Field Office Madhuri Banerjee, Executive Engineer of the Department of Public Health Engineering in Khagrachari Palash Chandra Das, SanMarks-BD Team Leader for the Chittagong Hill Tracts Region Md. Imran Nizami, RFL Chief Operating Officer Abdullah Al Junaid, and LIXIL Company Team Leader Md. Rashedul Alam Sarkar.
 
The meeting, conducted by Project Coordinator Bimal Kanti Chakma, began with a welcome speech from the Executive Director of BNKS Hlasinunu.
 
The discussion focused on increasing awareness among rural families through latrine service providers, providing the benefits and services of advanced latrine materials, ensuring sustainable development of the latrine market management, and ensuring advanced latrine services through the involvement of government and private institutions.
 
END/V7N/BTK/DK/