Saidpur Paurashava has reached a milestone for ensuring safe sanitation for the city dwellers. A fecal sludge treatment plant with the capacity to treat 26-meter cube per day is ready to treat fecal sludge and turn those into organic compost. WaterAid, a renowned international NGO in the WASH sector, and SKS, a well-reputed national NGO, are supporting the Saidpur Paurashava to manage the FSM value chain including the functions of the plant and engaging community in the process.
On 22 September 2021, the ITN-BUET team visited Saidpur Paurashava and met the municipal council to know about their actions regarding FSM in the city, understand the operation and management mechanism of the FSTP and seek possible avenues of learning and collaboration.
The Saidpur municipal council is enthusiastic about the potential of the FSTP to make the city clean and green. The Paurashava has taken several initiatives to stop illegal collections. However, they acknowledge the challenges of providing safely managed sanitation due to the unplanned nature of the city, like older and congested settlements and roads, refugee camps, unplanned peri-urban areas, and floating people. They are willing to engage people from all aspects to face these challenges.
ITN-BUET team also expressed interest in conducting a field study on women’s empowerment regarding sanitation management to further strengthen the safe sanitation system in the city. And, if necessary, ITN-BUET will also support in capacity-building of the municipal officials and engineers for better management of the citywide sanitation.
Saidpur Paurashava has strong leadership, stakeholder engagement, and a functional plant to treat FS, the necessary conditions for safely managing sanitation in a city. If the dedication and effort of Saidpur Paurashava continue, it is expected to become a model city for others.
