ZCZC
BSS-31
SWISS-ENVOY-BARIND
Swiss envoy visits water resource management project in Barind
RAJSHAHI, Oct 1, 2019 (BSS) – Switzerland Ambassador to Bangladesh Rene
Holenstain today visited drought-prone Barind areas in Rajshahi district to
see the activities of Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) project.
While visiting Babudying village under Godagari upazila, he exchanged
views with the community people related to their availability of drinking
water supply.
The ambassador also witnessed a surface water based irrigation scheme at
Baliaghata village under the same upazila where around 800 farmers are being
benefited directly from the scheme.
He was informed that over 2.80 lakh drought hit-families, including 80,000
ethnic minorities, have been brought under safe drinking water through
commissioning of 390 submersible pumps in the high Barind tract.
The pumps along with 20,000 feet pipelines were commissioned with
intervention of the IWRM project.
The drought-hit people, including 1.49 lakh women, in 1,280 remote
villages are getting facilities of safe drinking water.
The project is being implemented in drought affected 39 Union Parishads
and three municipalities in Rajshahi, Chapainawabganj and Naogaon districts
since 2014.
DASCOH Foundation and Swiss Red Cross with financial support from Swiss
Agency for Development and Cooperation-SDC are implementing the project.
Principal Scientific Officer of Water Resources Planning Organisation of
Ministry of Water Resources and Director of IWRM Project Engineer Rezaul
Karim, Country Representative of Swiss Red Cross Amitav Sharma, SDC Senior
Program Manager Sohel Ibne Ali, Senior Programme Officer of SDC Sabina
Yasmein Lubna and Chief Executive Officer of DASCOH Foundation Akramul Haque
accompanied the Swiss envoy.
BSS/AH/MMR/RY/1850 hrs