RAJSHAHI, May 6: An initiative has been taken to promote integrated water resource management in Barind area in order to reduce its existing water- stressed condition.
Swiss Red Cross and DASCOH Foundation have jointly started implementation works of 'Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM)' Project for sustainable management of existing water resources in Barind area.
The project is being implemented in drought and arsenic affected 35 Unions and four Pourasavas under Rajshahi and Chapainawabgonj districts since 2015 with financial support of SDC. Under the project, Water Resource Planning Organization (WARPO) has been working for formulating water related policies and time-fitting rules and regulations as state part.
Assistant Project Coordinator Jahangir Alam Khan here told BSS that main thrust of the regional level IWRM Project is to build a sustainable and effective institution through farmers' level piloting of different sustainable water resource management models through participation of local people.
To this end, project strategies are: to create awareness and organizing of local citizens relating to water related problems and prospects; to involve local government institutions and boosting their capacity in water resource management and to build an effective coordination platform through proper application and practicing of water laws related rules and regulations.
Utmost emphasis is being given on proper water management like reduce or water use and reduces its pollution, reuse or recycle of used water, recycle or recharge of underground water and restore or restoration of declining water layer and water reservoir from pollution.
Talanda Union Parishad Chairman Abul Kashem told BSS that participation of local government institutions and grassroots peoples is the precondition to make any good work sustainable. For this reason, the project is being implemented with joint participation of local beneficiaries and local government institutions.
In this field, the beneficiaries have to bear a portion of project cost so that their ownership mentality is emerged and afterwards no problems relating to operation and maintenance are arisen. Projects are selected locally.
Water resource problems identification, prospect analysis and planning are settled through village-based water resource management committee. Union Water
Resource Management Samity prepares an integrated plan through assembling the entire water resource committee projects within the union.
With the proposal they make bargaining with Union Parishad so that they can implement highest number of schemes.
After inclusion of water management project in annual planning and budget they contact with different government organizations, Upazila Parishad and non-government organizations like DASCOH.
In this way, local people select project and seek assistance of the government offices concerned for their technical support in implementation stage.
Similarly, the project works for building strong relation between people, local government institutions and government agencies concerned on the basis of local needs.
Kakonhat Pourasava Mayor Abdul Mazid said the water-deprived poor and underprivileged communities in the water-crisis Barind area are getting safe drinking water privileges in the present model.
As a whole, the project has created positive impact among the local communities as a result of concerted initiative and participation in addition to judicious uses of existing resources, he mentioned. �BSS
Lions club members engage in service to humanity : Speaker
Speaker of Jatiya Sangsad (JS) Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury today said Lions, is an international platform, engaged in human services in the world with its own finance.
"Members of the organization from all classes and professions, are willing to work on humanity, spending their time, money and labour, voluntarily beyond groups and opinions," she said this, while inaugurating an annual convention, as the chief guest at a city hotel.
Lions Multiple District 315, Bangladesh organized its 30th annual convention-2017. Chaired by council chairperson Swadesh Ranjan Saha, the programme was also addressed, among others, by Lion Sheikh Kabir Hossain, Lion Nazmul Haque, Lion Kazi Akramuddin Ahmed, Lion Engineer M Abdul Wahab, Lion Moslem Ali Khan and Lion Bashirullah.
The Speaker, also, Executive Chairperson of Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA), called upon Lions club members to work with coordinate efforts along with the government to build poverty, hunger and exploitation free 'Sonar Bangla' dreamt by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
She said in this era of globalization, new challenges are being created due to climate change and free flow of information technology in the global context, adding, "Bangladesh is moving forward by accepting those challenges."
Meanwhile, Bangladesh has already achieved success in all fields by adopting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) challenges and is currently working by adopting the challenges of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to become a middle-income country by 2021, Dr Shirin added. "Bangladesh's progress is visible in this challenge," she said. The Speaker further said poverty eradication is not possible only through achieving growth. �BSS - See more at: http://www.observerbd.com/details.php?id=72390#sthash.J8WxNfUw.dpuf