Deep hand tube-well water for achieving sustainable development goal in arsenic affected villages: Bangladesh experience

Abstract

Arsenic mitigation rural water supply is a continued challenge in developing countries. Here we present data in water supply through highly demanded community-level deep hand tube-well (DTW) and discuss perspectives for achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG-6.1) in rural Bangladesh. Equity in access to the DTWs was addressed by applying GPS for distance between DTWs and houses of about 34,500 beneficiaries. About 95% and 50% of the water point water samples respectively conformed 1) arsenic and bacteriological, and ii) arsenic, bacteriological, manganese and iron quality standards of Bangladesh. Improved technology/hand pump at premises reduced to about 5% from 50%. Safely managed drinking water service after the SDG-6.1 remained questionable. Research on comprehensive program for safely managed pipe water, appropriate technologies and other issues towards SDG recommended.