BSS:

LGRD and Cooperatives Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Tuesday informed parliament that around 11 percent of the country’s population remains at risk of arsenic contamination, according to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) and UNICEF joint Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) 2019.

Replying to a starred question by treasury bench lawmaker Selina Sultana from the reserved women’s seat, the minister said the Department of Public Health Engineering (DPHE), under the Local Government Division, has undertaken various initiatives to protect people from arsenic contamination, reports BSS.

He said the DPHE has been implementing different projects in rural areas to ensure access to safe drinking water.

Under these projects, around 1,215,948 arsenic-safe water sources have been installed as of 2026. These include deep tube wells, piped water supply systems, rainwater harvesting facilities, pond excavation and re-excavation, and solar-powered pond sand filters.

The minister expressed hope that the ongoing initiatives would reduce the proportion of people exposed to arsenic contamination to 5-6 percent by the end of 2026.

Highlighting the progress of the programmes, he said 615,497 safe water sources have so far been installed under the ongoing initiatives.

He added that 199,485 water sources have been established under the Safe Water Supply through Rainwater Harvesting Project in the coastal districts.

Under the completed Arsenic Risk Reduction in Water Supply Project, 174,676 water sources were installed, while 88,235 water sources were established under the completed Rural Water Supply Project.

“Besides, under the completed Priority Rural Water Supply Project, 138,055 water sources have been installed,” he added.