Despite being monitored by a constructor, now I will be able to construct an appropriate septic tank and soak pit based on my learnings from the training- a mason said after training. Homna Paurashava organized a two-day long training during 23-24 August 2022 on sanitation containment systems (septic tank, soak well, pit latrine) for mason, work assistant/ engineer and constructor together with UNICEF and ITN-BUET.
Honourable Mayor, advocate Mohammed Nazrul Islam, Homna Paurashava, Homna, Cumilla inaugurated this training as Chief Guest. Prof. Dr. Tanvir Ahmed, Director, ITN-BUET, Mohammad Shafiqul Alam, Chief of WASH (CC), UNICEF and Mr. Ehteshamul Rasel Khan, Project Director, GoB-Unicef project were present as guests at the inaugural event.
Inappropriate sanitation containment systems and illegal connection to nearby drains/ waterbodies have been identified as one of the leading causes of 91% unsafe sanitation in Homna Paurashava depicting in shit flow diagram (SFD) of the Paurashava.
Masons and sanitation entrepreneur (SE), who construct sanitation containment systems (septic tank, soak pit and pit latrines) in Homna Paurashava did not receive any formal training on appropriate construction procedure following standard design. The facts were identified in Training Need Assessment (TNA) conducted in Homna Paurashova on 2nd August 2022. The TNA also narrated that in most cases masons are not provided any design/ drawing by their hiring authority before constructing the sanitation containment system and they lack understanding of various important aspects of sanitation containment construction. The training was designed based on the need assessment findings.
A total of 21 participants participated in the training and resource persons from ITN-BUET facilitated the training. They were made aware of length-width ratio, number of compartments, position and size of inlet-tee (T) pipes, position of holes in baffle wall, gaps between wall and top slab in connection to septic tank, stepwise methods, suitability of site, materials and equipment required for constructing septic tank, soak pit and pit latrine through interactive discussion and field visits. ITN-BUET resource persons also discussed occupational health and safety for construction and emptying of sanitation containment systems.
On the second day of the training, participants got direct experience of construction of different containments during the field visit and identified the deviations and improvement areas based on learning from the training. Mr. Alauddin Ahmed, project manager, ITN-BUET, distributed certificates among the participants at the closing ceremony of the training.
