Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Ministry on Wednesday declared ‘Clean Village-Clean Town’ programme marking the Mujib Year.
The programme has been declared to promote cleanliness among the people themselves and their surroundings as well. This initiative has been proclaimed to build a clean Bangladesh.
The declaration came at a workshop on Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) progress review 2020 at the auditorium of the Department of Public Health Engineering Public Health Engineering at Kakrail in the city.
Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister Md Tajul Islam took part in the programme as the chief guest.
As part of the celebration of Mujib Barsho, the ‘Clean Village-Clean Town’ programme is going to be launched under the direction of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
The aim is to make mass people habituated with the practice of keeping them neat and clean daily, speakers who took part in the discussion said.
They said a neat and clean landscape will be built under the Vision 2021 and 2041 from the grassroots level.
They said all city corporations, municipalities and upazilas of the country will start working primarily in small areas of their respective zones to make the programme a success.
Cleaning activities in educational institutions of the country will be strengthened in the days to come, the speakers said.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government has been implementing gigantic programmes with an aim to achieving SDGs by 2030.
The SDG has been launched to end poverty, ensure health facilities for all, reduce child and maternity deaths, reduce inequality in all spheres of national life, ensure quality education, ensure environmental well-being are some of the major challenges.
Minister Md Tajul Islam said, “LGED is a decentralised organisation and works closely with local government institutions, local people and public representatives to address their needs in infrastructure development planning.”
“We have to be committed to take initiatives for development. Don’t be influenced by any illegal pressure. If anyone tries to exert any influence, don’t worry, I’ll be with you,” he added.
According to the key note of the presentation, as per data recorded in DPHE during 2015, 5% of population were using surface water source which is currently remaining at 8%. The point water source and piped water supply is currently at 55% and 35% respectively which was 55% and 32% respectively in 2015.
The present situation of wash in Bangladesh was also marked in the key note. The current improved sanitation coverage stands at 64% which was 61% as per JNP 2015 and the use of shared latrine has been dropped to 21% now from 28% in 2015.
As stated by the key note, there are some challenges to SDG implementation, monitoring and supervising progress of SDG through setting appropriate indicators, coordinating among stakeholders and establishing feedback mechanism to review decisions and control measures.