KHULNA, July 3: In a significant move to improve living conditions for slum dwellers, Khulna City Corporation (KCC) and Khulna Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (WASA) have announced a joint initiative to modernise health and sanitation systems in Bastuhara and Rupsha Char slums.
The project will financially be supported by UNICEF under the title "Climate Smart WASH System in Khulna City Corporation."
Details of the initiative were shared at an orientation session held on Wednesday at the GIZ Auditorium of the KCC building.
The project comes as a response to a rise in rural-to-urban migration caused by declining agricultural productivity in coastal areas due to natural disasters and saltwater intrusion. As a result, many low-income families have settled in slum areas of the Khulna city, where access to basic services-including clean drinking water, sanitation, drainage, and healthcare-remains extremely limited.
The lack of infrastructure in these settlements has led to widespread health problems, particularly among women and children. Common issues include waterborne illnesses, skin infections, respiratory conditions, and reproductive health challenges.
The "Climate Smart WASH" project aims to modernise drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene infrastructure, particularly in and around nearby health centres. The main components include- Installation of Water ATM booths to ensure safe drinking water access; Establishment of wastewater treatment plants in the two slum areas; Modernisation of sanitation systems, including construction of hygienic toilet facilities; and Development of a medical waste management plant to prevent contamination and promote environmental health.
The project is expected to benefit around 80,000 residents of the two slums. To ensure effective implementation, the meeting also recommended allocation of land for wastewater treatment infrastructure, approval of layout and design plans for water purification facilities, electrical connections for sewerage infrastructure, construction and disconnection of septic tanks from open drains, removal of unsafe hanging latrines, and adoption of a pro-poor pricing model for septic tank cleaning and maintenance services.
KCC Administrator Md. Firoz Sarkar, speaking as the chief guest, termed the project "timely and necessary," stressing the importance of awareness building among slum residents and capacity-building for KCC staff to maintain the new infrastructure.
Khulna WASA Managing Director Md. Hossain Shawkat and UNICEF Chief of WASH Peter Mayes also spoke at the session, highlighting the broader implications of urban sanitation and health for sustainable development.
The event was attended by Md. Shafiqul Alam, WASH Specialist, UNICEF (presented the project overview), Khan Selim Ahmed, Supervising Engineer, Khulna WASA, Md. Kawsar Hossain, Head of UNICEF Khulna Division, Dr. Faria Fahim Badon, WHO Programme Officer, Kohinur Jahan, Chief Waste Management Officer and Executive Magistrate, KCC, officials from Wards 9 and 22, and representatives from several NGOs and local stakeholders.
