Date: 11 August 2025
Location: Torabganj area, Lakshmipur Sadar Upazila, Bangladesh
Conducted by: ALO (Animation Liberate For Organize)
Video Interview: https://youtu.be/roxP7HKuWHs?si=-vHISe0FMAcca6TP
Report By: Kazi Altaf Mahmood
1 Executive Summary
On 11 August 2025, ALO (Animation Liberate For Organize) conducted a field assessment
for The People’s Voice Episode 23 in Torabganj, Lakshmipur Sadar Upazila, Bangladesh,
as part of its Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) initiative. The project successfully
installed a tube well, providing clean water to ten families in a community previously
without reliable water access. This report details the project’s impact, ongoing challenges,
and recommendations for addressing remaining sanitation and housing needs
in this coastal region. Key findings highlight high community satisfaction with water
access, but critical gaps in sanitation (only two families have bathrooms) and housing
infrastructure.
2 Project Overview
The ALO WASH initiative in Torabganj aimed to address water scarcity in a rural
coastal community through the installation of a tube well. Implemented in July 2025,
the project targeted ten low-income families facing challenges from salinity intrusion
and inadequate infrastructure. The initiative aligns with the Sustainable Development Goal
6 (clean water and sanitation) and seeks to improve health outcomes by ensuring access
to safe drinking water and supporting hygiene practices, such as ablution for daily
prayers. The total project cost was $150 (approximately 18,225 BDT at 121.5 BDT/USD,
August 2025), covering materials, labor, and installation
3 Project Location
The project is located in Torabganj, Lakshmipur Sadar Upazila, within Lakshmipur
District, Barishal Division, Bangladesh. This coastal region faces environmental challenges,
including salinity intrusion, riverbank erosion, and frequent cyclones, which
exacerbate water and sanitation vulnerabilities
4 Community-Level Findings
Interviews conducted during The People’s Voice Episode 23 revealed:
- Water Access: All ten families now use the tube well for drinking, ablution, and
household needs, reporting high satisfaction with water quality. - Sanitation Gaps: Only two families have bathroom facilities; eight rely on open
or shared sanitation, posing health risks. - Housing Conditions: All families live in substandard housing, with issues like broken
roofs, makeshift shelters, and leaking pipes. One interviewee, a recent widow,
highlighted personal hardships, including the loss of her husband and lack of a tin
roof. - Community Needs: Residents prioritize bathroom construction and housing repairs
to improve living standards.
5 Project Components and Costs
The project involved installing a single tube well, including:
- Materials: PVC pipes, pump components, and a concrete base.
- Labor: Local technicians for drilling and installation.
- Cost: $150 (18,225 BDT at 121.5 BDT/USD).
This cost-effective intervention addressed immediate water needs but requires expansion
to cover sanitation and housing
6 Historical Context of Water and Sanitation in Bangladesh
Bangladesh has made significant strides in water and sanitation since the 1970s, with
improved water access rising from 64% in 1970 to 98% by 2020. However, challenges
like arsenic contamination (affecting 35-77 million people in the 1990s) and open defecation
(34% in 1990) persisted. Economic losses from inadequate sanitation were
estimated at 295.48 billion BDT in 2010. Rural areas, like Torabganj, have lagged,
with only 42.6% accessing safely managed water by 2015.
7 Current Water and Sanitation Challenges in Bangladesh
As of 2025, 68.3 million Bangladeshis lack safely managed water, and 103 million lack
safely managed sanitation. Basic hygiene facilities are unavailable to 61.7 million
(37% of the population), contributing to health issues like stunting. Sanitation coverage
is 84% nationally, but rural areas average 36.4% safely managed. Water Contamination during storage reduces safe consumption to 34% in some areas, and urban
sewage treatment remains limited (30% in Dhaka).
8 Challenges in Coastal Bangladesh and Lakshmipur
Coastal regions, including Lakshmipur, face unique challenges:
- Salinity Intrusion: Salinity levels in aquifers exceed 4,000 μS/cm in the dry season,
rendering groundwater undrinkable. - Riverbank Erosion: Displaces communities, creating internally displaced persons
(IDPs) with limited WASH access. - Arsenic and Fecal Contamination: Affects 65% of water sources in coastal zones.
- Limited Infrastructure: Only 15% of coastal aquifers are potable at deeper levels,
and shared tubewells serve 12.4 people on average.
In Lakshmipur, recent 2024 data highlights small-scale desalination efforts (20-60 m3/day)
but insufficient sanitation infrastructure due to flooding.
8.1 Sanitation Coverage: National vs. Coastal Bangladesh
Safely Managed (36.4%) from MICS 2019
Basic Sanitation (84% national, 72% coastal) from NGO/local survey estimates
Source:
- UNICEF & Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (2019). Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) 2019 – Key Findings: Water, Sanitation and Hygiene. Dhaka: Government of Bangladesh. Available at: Sanitation and Water for All – Bangladesh Country Overview 2020
9 Impact of the ALO WASH Initiative
The tube well has provided reliable water access to ten families, enabling drinking, ablution,
and hygiene practices. Residents report improved quality of life and reduced health
risks from contaminated sources. The project aligns with national WASH goals, contributing
to SDG 6. However, its scope is limited to water access, leaving sanitation and
housing unaddressed.
10 Remaining Gaps and Needs
- Sanitation: Eight families lack bathrooms, necessitating affordable latrine construction
to reduce open defecation risks. - Housing: Substandard housing (e.g., broken roofs, makeshift shelters) requires repairs
or new constructions. - Coastal Challenges: Salinity mitigation (e.g., desalination units) and climate-resilient
Infrastructure is critical for sustainability. - Community Support: Hygiene education and financial aid for vulnerable households
(e.g., widows) are needed.
11 Conclusion and Recommendations
The ALO WASH initiative in Torabganj marks a successful step toward improving water
access, with ten families benefiting from a reliable tube well. However, persistent
sanitation and housing challenges underscore the need for comprehensive interventions.
Recommendations include:
- Scaling up sanitation infrastructure, targeting latrines for the eight families without
facilities. - Partnering with NGOs and government programs to fund housing repairs and climate-resilient
designs. - Implementing desalination and hygiene education to address coastal-specific challenges.
By addressing these gaps, ALO can enhance community resilience and contribute to
Bangladesh’s SDG 6 targets by 2030.
