ASSESSMENT OF WATER SUPPLY AND SANITATION SITUATION IN TORNADO AFFECTED AREA : A STUDY ON KAMARKHOLA UNION UNDER DACOPE UPAZILA, KHULNA DISTRICT

Introduction  Safe water, sanitation and hygiene promotion combined with a culture of safety towards natural disaster are critical to human.  Bangladesh is known to be a naturally disaster prone country. Every year the country due to its geographical location and climatic condition experiences frequent natural disaster.  In general the coastal region of Bangladesh is directly affected by cyclones and tidal surges. It mostly affects to the water supply and sanitation facilities.  Because of this, most of the water supply and sanitation infrastructures like tube-wells, sweet ponds, PSFs and latrines are damaged and creates a severe crisis of drinking water, unhygienic condition for the community.  As a result, outbreak of waterborne diseases e.g. skin disease, diarrhoea etc. in the affected areas create health hazards of the people.

Objectives of the Study  To evaluate the water supply and sanitation condition of the study area;  To evaluate the present heath threats in the study area; and  To find out the community demand for the development of water supply and sanitation condition in the study area.

Location Map of the Study Area Kamarkhola Union Source: Banglapedia,2010

Administrative Map of Kamarkhola Union

Materials and Methods  Determination of sample size The sample size for data collection from each stratum was obtained from the following equation (Kotheri, 2009): z 2 pqN n= (2.1) e 2 (N-1)+z 2 pq Where n = Sample size z 2 = the value of the standard variant at a given confidence level=1.96 [for 95% confidence level the value of z is 1.96] p = Sample proportion=25% of the household, i.e q = 1-p=0.75 e = Acceptance error=0.1 [Since the estimate should be within 10% of the true value] N = Household size for the strata=1660 Therefore, Sample size, n= ≈ 70.

Materials and Methods  Primary data collection  Questionnaire survey  Key informant interviews  Secondary data collection  Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, Khulna;  Bangladesh Meteorological Department, Dhaka;  Internet/ journal articles/web articles;  Different related books;  Published/Unpublished research report;  Upazila Agriculture Office;  Upazila Parishad;  Union Parishad;  Soil research development institute;  DPHE, Dacope Upazila and  Non Government Organizations etc.

Results and Discussion Source: Field survey,

Results and Discussion Source: Field survey,

Results and Discussion Source: Field survey,

Results and Discussion Source: Field survey,

Results and Discussion Source: Field survey,

Results and Discussion Source: Field survey,

Results and Discussion Source: Field survey,

Results and Discussion Source: Field survey,

Results and Discussion Source: Field survey,

Results and Discussion Source: Field survey,

Results and Discussion Source: Field survey,

Results and Discussion Source: Field survey,

Results and Discussion Source: Field survey,

Results and Discussion Source: Field survey,

Conclusion  The absence of adequate safe water supply and sanitation facilities during the post Aila period is largely responsible for outbreak of waterborne diseases which cause terrible impact on health of the community people in the study area.  Overall findings of the study are summarized below:  The people of the study area use the safe water from different sources such as rain water (100%) as primary source, sweet pond water (77.14%), PSF (22.86%) water as secondary source  Most of the household members (84%) wash their hands after defecation and before taking any food, a large part of them (41.42%) use soil and (35.72%) use only water for hand washing.  The main type of latrines used in the locality is hanging toilet (61.42%). Most of all the household members directly dump children feces into the tidal water.

Conclusion  The outbreak of water-borne diseases like skin diseases, diarrhea, and dysentery are in severe level in the study area. The children (75.71% as affected level one) and the old man (40% as affected level two) are more affected by these diseases. The large numbers of people are taking medical services from the pharmacist in pharmacy (41.42%) and village doctor (38.58%) who have so lesser quality.  The study has found some community demand for getting release from that existing severe condition of water supply and sanitation. Most of the respondents have remarked for serving water tank and dram (59.67% as first priority), reconstruction of embankments (50.38% as second priority), dewatering and re-excavation of ponds (46.29% as third priority), temporary latrines (46.44% as second priority), medicine and medical services (59.38% as third priority), and stop shrimp farming etc.

Photographs

Thanks to All…