February 9, 2003

The Daily Star

Test all tubewells within a yr to tackle arsenic problem 
UNICEF representative tells seminar BSS, Dhaka

UNICEF representative to Bangladesh Morten Giersing yesterday 
urged the authorities to test all tubewells across the country 
within next one year to tackle arsenic problem.

"Bangladesh was an exceptionally successful in providing safe 
water to people. But arsenic problem has spoiled that success. 
It's a dramatic problem but we need to scale it down because 
people suffer from horrific sickness once they become
exposed to the disease," the UNICEF representative said while 
addressing a seminar on "Water and Sustainable Development" at 
the National Press Club.

Minister for Water Resources L K Siddiqui inaugurated the seminar as
chief guest. Media Network for Sustainable Development (MNSD) organised 
the seminar in association with UNICEF and UN Information Centre (UNIC) 
here to create awareness about significance of the year 2003 as International 
Year of Fresh Water.

Morten said arsenic test requires less than one dollar per tubewell.
He said Kyoto conference of World Water Forum would introduce 'water 
poverty index'. Some Bangladeshi children will also visit the conference as
participant of the children's water forum. Safe water brings down child
mortality rate, he added. Morten said Bangladesh can achieve 100 per 
cent sanitation coverage by 2015 if it takes appropriate steps. A high-level
ministerial conference for Asian nations titled 'AsiaSan-2003' will be 
held in Dhaka by September, he added.

        L K Siddiqui said many water related problems and issues in the
developing countries are identical. Like Bangladesh, he said, the 
Chinese people are also facing some water related problems. "The difference is,
China has control over their water resource but we don't have that 
level of control," he said. "Sharing of water is a unique problem but we have to
resolve the issue. Ganges river serve as a major source of fresh water 
for our people but unfortunately Ganges water is not pollution-free," the
minister said.

Chairman of MNSD Shamsuddin Ahmed, Officer in Charge of UNIC Kazi
Ali Reza, Dr Feroz Ahmed of BUET, former director general of BWDB and
Engineer Asaduzzaman spoke on the occasion.