Online Desk: The Department of Public Health Engineering (DPHE) has implemented different projects at a cost of Tk 280 crore during the last 15 years in Khulna district, official’s sources said here today.

“The projects which were completed include installation of a total of 17,499 deep tube wells, deep tube wells with submersible pumps, shallow tube wells and a total of 46,831 rainwater harvesting reservoirs (Rainwater storage),” the sources added.

Besides, the projects also include a total of 19 pond based ultra-filtration, 630 excavation and re-excavation of ponds, PSF (Solar PSF), 59 community based water supply scheme, construction of two high reservoirs with a capacity of one lakh liters, construction of one surface water treatment plant with a capacity of two lakh liters, construction of 13 Reverse Osmosis (RO) units, construction of 90 public toilets, installation of 35 solar desalination units, construction of 446 wash-blocks.

Md. Akmol Hosen, Executive Engineer of DPHE told BSS today, with a view to provide safe water, DPHE along with its development partners is trying to minimize the sufferings caused by the lack of safe water, DPHE is implementing different projects to achieve an improved environment in the southern part and the country as well.

He said, DPHE has established 446 wash-blocks in remote areas.  Students and teachers of Govt.

Primary Schools are now very happy due to have newly constructed modern wash-blocks in their schools.

Earlier, the schools did not have clean and quality toilets and clean drinking water. Now with the construction of a new wash block, the students have been benefited a lot.

During the dry season, the tube well water dries out completely. The storage of rainwater is very much essential for the villages.

A total of 46,831 storages of rainwater under Rain Harvesting Project have removed the drinking water crisis of over six lakh people in the coastal upazilas of Koira, Paikgacha and Dakop, he added.

Two high reservoirs with a capacity of one lakh liters per hour and one surface water treatment plant with a capacity of two lakh liters per hour have decreased the water crisis in Khulna.

Besides, among the 90 public toilets, DPHE has already re-constructed the public toilets which were old and in the worst condition.

According to the DPHE in Dakop, there are few government ponds that had been dried up in the upazila. Re-excavation of around 50 government ponds in Dakop have been completed under 630 excavation and re-excavation of pond projects.

Finally, it is a remarkable achievement of the government to provide safe water keeping aside all the challenges generated by arsenic, salinity and natural disasters like Sidr and Aila, Md. Akmol Hosen added.