95pc houses in Dhaka don’t have any sceptic tank: DSCC mayor

Dhaka South City Corporation mayor Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh addresses as a special guest at a seminar titled ‘50 Years of Achievements and Futures in the Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Sector’ at a Dhaka hotel on 16 October 2021
Prothom Alo

Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) mayor Md Atiqul Islam on Saturday said that 10 per cent holding tax rebate will be given to the owners of the buildings, which will have rainwater harvesting facility, reports UNB.

The mayor was speaking as a special guest at a seminar titled “50 Years of Achievements and Futures in the Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Sector” at a city hotel.

Chaired by senior secretary of local government division Helal Uddin Ahmed, the seminar was organised on the occasion of Bangabandhu’s birth centenary and golden jubilee of independence.

Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) mayor Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh attended the programme as special guest.

Speaking at the seminar, Taposh said, “Around 95 per cent houses in Dhaka city do not have any sceptic tank and 99.99 per cent houses do not have any soak well. The house owners will have to be forced to ensure these facilities.”

Taposh further said, “We will not give approval to any buildings or houses as long as the owner of the house or housing company does not build sceptic tank and soak well.”

DNCC mayor Atiqul said Bangladesh has been able to make significant progress and success in the last 50 years in the safe water, sanitation and hygiene (wash) sector. The DNCC along other stakeholders is working to increase public awareness about safe water, sanitation and hygiene (wash). The city corporation has already completed construction of 47 environmentally friendly and hygienic public toilets, out of 63, he added.

The mayor said the overall environment including water is being polluted due to large number of unplanned houses of Dhaka city as sewage falls directly into drains or canals for lacking of effective septic tank and soak wells of the buildings in elite areas.

Atiqul said that modern septic tanks and soak wells have to setup in the houses of the city and keep the purification system active.

He emphasised that the purification system needs to be further strengthened by setting up area basis faecal sludge plants in the city corporation area.

He said the work of power generation from waste is in the last stage for the first time in the country at the initiative of DNCC.

He also said that the Corporation is working sincerely with short, medium and long term plans to reduce water logging and pollution in the city.

The DNCC mayor further said the city needs multiple well-planned reservoirs to solve the waterlogging problem. But sadly, out of 173 acres of land allotted for Kalyanpur reservoir, only three acres have reservoirs and the remaining 170 acres are in the possession of illegal occupants. So all-together have to vocal against the illegal occupiers.

Atiqul further said that unplanned Dhaka has to be transformed into a liveable, healthy, vibrant and modern Dhaka.

Local government, rural development and cooperatives minister Tajul Islam addressed the seminar as chief guest.