Department of Public Health Engineering (DPHE) of Khulna is planning to supply safe drinking water to three arsenic affected upazilas in Khulna.
A project worth Tk48 crore aims to ensure safe water for at least 600000 residents of the upazilas, namely Rupsa, Terkhada and Digholia, has been sent to the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) for approval.
Jahed Parvez, executive engineer of the Department of Public Health Engineering (DPHE) of Khulna said: ''To supply safe drinking water to the three upazilas, 1500 water tanks having a capacity of 3000 liters each, 2200 deep tube wells, 223 tube-wells, 1,500 feet deep each, 50 hand-driven tube wells , 30 community latrines and modern latrines for high schools will be set up under the project which would start next year upon approval.''
According to the Upazila Health complex, at least 10 people including man and woman died of arsenic in last 10 years and residents have been asked not to drink water from arsenic contaminated tube wells.
Even residents of many unions of Rupsa, Terkhada upazilas reserve rainwater for drinking as they have been suffering without safe drinking water, locals said.
According to the Terkhada upazila health complex, currently 46 people are affected with arsenic in six unions and water of shallow tube wells are being tested on a daily basis.
