Plant idle as people cry for arsenic-free water in Kalaroa

The overhead tank and water treatment facilities lying ideal for about 11 months in Kalaroa. PHOTO: STAR

The Kalaroa Arsenic Free Water Supply Project, jointly implemented by Bogra Rural Development Academy (RDA) and a local NGO-- JESH Foundationis unutilised for about 11 months.

Over two lakh people of Kalaroa municipality and adjoining areas where arsenic contamination of ground water is much beyond the permissible level is deprived of safe water even after completion of the pilot project.

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Severe arsenic contamination of ground water is a long standing problem in Kalaroa. Level of arsenic is between .70 (point seven zero ) and .50 ( point five zero) against the WHO (World Health Organisation) permissible level of .05 (point zero five).

According to the Public Health Engineering Department (PHED), about 96 per cent of the 18510 tube wells are arsenic-contaminated in the upazila.

According to a survey done in 2001, there were 683 arsenicosis patients in the upazila. The number would be more now, PHED officials told this correspondent yesterday.

People of the small town on several occasions demanded steps by the municipal authorities to supply arsenic-free water but the authorities were helpless due to lack of funds.

Bogra Rural Development Academy (RDA) came forward with assistance and signed a contact with JESH Foundation, a local NGO, on December 3, 2003 to implement a project to supply arsenic-free water. An agreement was also signed between Kalaroa municipality and JESH Foundation on September 9, 2003.

Bogra RDA gave Tk 18 lakh interest free loan to JESH Foundation to implement the project. The loan is payable in 20 installments in 10 years.

As per contract, Kalaroa municipality leased six decimal land to JESH Foundation for the project on an annual payment of Tk 1500.

Under the project, an overhead tank has been built, a water treatment plant installed and a deep tube sunk. The work started on December 12, 2003 and was completed in March last year. Laying of PVC pipeline in the town is yet to be done.

As per agreement with JESH Foundation, the pourasava would bear the cost of laying PVC pipeline in the town and get 40 per cent of the profit from the project.

Pourasava authorities floated a tender in February 2004 for the Tk 5,50,000 PVC pipeline laying work. Ten firms bid for the work. But the pourasava cancelled the tender in the same month allegedly without showing any reason.

It is alleged that the tender was cancelled following pressure from some vested quarters backed by a ruling party lawmaker. The municipal authorities again floated a tender for the work on June 16 in 2004. But there has not been any progress in the pipeline laying work since then.

As pressure from townspeople mounted, the pourasabha in January this year asked project authorities to supply arsenic-free water from the project site, with a plan that residents would take safe water from there till pipeline is laid. As per the agreement, the pourasabha would take the water from the NGO and supply it to people.

The NGO complied with the municipal authorities' request and started supplying water from the overhead tank on January 27 last year.

But after three days, the pourasabha authorities declined to take water from the project and wrote a letter to Bogra RDA for handover of the project to it. Bogra RDA refused as it was not in the agreement, sources said.

The project authorities then started supplying arsenic- free water to people from its compound. But the supply came to a halt after valuable equipment was stolen. Since then, supply of water is suspended.

On contact, Bogra RDA's Deputy Director Engineer Nazrul Islam said the pilot project was funded to supply safe water to people but they are not getting the facility for unknown reason.

Asked about the fate of the project, Kalaroa UNO Bashirul Alam who is also administrator of the municipality, said fund constraint is hindering the project.

"The theft is part of conspiracy by some vested quarters to stop commissioning of the project", JESH Foundation Chairman Enam Haque claimed when contacted by this correspondent.

"We also requested the municipal authorities to bear half of the cost for buying the stolen equipment, to construct a boundary wall for security and to take over the project by paying the cost but they are yet to reply", Enam Haque said.

"Commissioning of the project has become uncertain", he said.

The Bogra RDA had a plan to implement 10 more such projects in the area if the Kolaria project could be commissioned successfully.

As the project could not be run, it shifted those to Sharsha upazila in Jessore district, said Engineer Nazrul Islam.

"We took the decision to shift the proposed projects to Jessore as we failed to run the project at Kalaroa", said Enam Haque.

Costly appliances including the chemical dosing pump (not available in Bangladesh), two planet boards and capacitors along with 10 kilograms of water purifying chemicals worth about Tk one lakh were stolen on June 16 last year, putting last nails on the project.

Sources claimed that the vested quarters engaged a gang to commit the theft.

Police arrested the night guard but released him allegedly due to political pressure, they claimed. Police could neither nab the culprits nor recover the stolen goods.

On contact over cell phone, local ruling party lawmaker Habibul Islam Habib denied all the allegations.

When asked about shifting of 10 proposed projects to Jessore from Kalaroa upazila, he said he does not know anything about it.