Six lakh out of sanitation coverage in Moulvibazar

Water borne and other diseases break out frequently in various parts of the district due to defecation under open sky.

One lakh 24,630 families out of two lakh 34,000 families in 67 unions and five municipalities in seven upazilas use sanitary latrines. The percentage of sanitation coverage is 53.12 per cent.

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According to the survey, the total number of latrines in the district is one lakh 27 thousand 630. Of these 73 thousand latrines are hygienic while the rest 54 thousand 134 latrines are unhygienic.

Meanwhile, the number of families who do not use any latrine is one lakh nine thousand 991. Of the families 84 thousand 710 families could not afford to buy sanitary latrines due to extreme poverty, 8 thousand 209 families have no land to construct sanitary latrines, 2 thousand 275 families have no accessories, 40 thousand 686 families do not use sanitary latrines due to lack of awareness and 4,007 families use open spaces to defecate.

The situation is more miserable in Srimongal town and many other places in the upazila. Hundreds of kutcha latrines were set up on both the banks of hilly canals following through Srimongal town and nearby areas including other places in the upazila.

Stools of these open latrines are being mixed with water in these canals have been causing water and air pollution in the town as well as in the entire upazila.

Even in Moulvibazar town the sanitary situation is not satisfactory. A section of people constructed pucca building occupying the north bank of the river Monu. These buildings were constructed on the base of heavy pillars. There is no scope for building sanitary latrines as these buildings are hanging on pillars. Owners of these buildings created holes on the floors towards the banks to defecate. As a result, the north bank of the Monu is polluted. But every day hundreds of people are taking bath and washing clothes in this river. Moulvibazar municipality, the DPHE and the Department of Environment are not taking action against owners of these buildings.

However, most of tea gardens in the country with several lakhs of population are also situated in this district. Approximately 70 to 80 per cent members of tea garden labour families defecate under open sky.

Besides this, people in tea garden belts use water of hilly canals for household works and many other purposes. As a result, public health in tea garden areas is threatened.

The situation in haor (water body) areas including Hakabaki haor, one of the biggest haors in the country, Kawadighi haor and Hail haor in the district is also hopeless due to lack of sanitary latrines.