AAN :::Asia Arsenic Network Bangladesh

Reported by: Tarun Kanti Hore

1. Panjia Project

1 . - 1 ) AAN Filter

a)Distribution:AAN planned to distribute household arsenic removal filter s to the arsenicosis patients identified during the medical camp in Panjia in June .Before distributing the filter s, AAN conducted a survey to know the ir present water fetching patterns and selected 26 arsenicosis patients . In August we distributed 25 AAN filter s and collected contribution (Taka 881 in total) from 21 patients, and the rest 4 patients received a filter free of cost due to their financial difficulties.
Before distributing filter s, Shamim Khan demonstrated the use of AAN filter, followed by actual practice by users. He also explained about the maintenance.
b) Monitoring : Shamim Khan started collecting water samples of distributed AAN filter s on 26 th August to test water quality .

1 . - 2) FW Training

a) Awareness-raising: We planned an Awareness-raising Program using a flip chart to be conduct ed by F ield W orker s. First, on 16 th August , AAN organized a training program where 1 new FW attended with our existing 6 FWs. Monjuara Parvin was the main trainer and Shamim Uddin and Rezaul Karim Razu also gave lectures on arsenic and explained them on implementation plan s by AAN.
Three flip chart programs were performed at the Bazar and 2 places of East para in Garbhanga on 18 th August , participated by a total audience of 152 (male - 36, female - 77, and children - 39).
b) Arsenic-Arsenicosis and Nutrition: An NHK-TV team was expected to come to Bangladesh early September and AAN plan n ed to perform one Nutrition Program in Garbhanga for the TV team. Prior to the shooting, on 31 st August , AAN organized an Arsenic-Arsenicosis and Nutrition training in Jessore Office for 7 FWs.
Shamim Uddin inaugurated the daylong training program with a welcome speech emphasizing the importance of nutrition to prevent people from arsenicosis. Aklima Chowdhury, Monjuara Parvin, Rezaul Karim Razu and Tarun Hore facilitate d the program.Trainees said the program was very useful and expressed their opinion that it would en hance the knowledge of people about arsenicosis and nutrition.

1 . - 3) Contractor Selection for DTW Boring

Shamim Uddin appointed Azam, Razu and Tarun for collecting quotations for DTW boring . F our quotations were collected from 4 contractors after meeting with Assistant Engineer of DPHE, Jessore and Sub-Assistant Engineer of DPHE Keshabpur. At the selection meeting AAN thought Mr. Nur Mohammad Gazi ( who had some experience in sealing during the JICA/AAN project in Sharsha) would be most reliable though his quotation was not placed for that meeting. Other contractors had no experience in sealing. AAN met with Mr. Gazi and finally selected his quotation since it was the lowest. The details of all the quotations were as follows :

Sl #	Name	Address	Submitted Amount
1	M/S Jamuna Prokousholli	Jessore	45,721.07 Tk.
2	M/S Murad Enterprise	Jhikorgachha	50,975.22 Tk.
3	M/S Parijut Enterprise	Monirampur	37,317.00 Tk
4	Md. Mujibur Rahman	Monirampur	45,635.00 Tk
5	Nur Mohammad Gazi	Monirampur	36,372.50 Tk.

1 . - 4) Collection of Contribution

By 31 st August, 3 User s Committees deposited their fixed contributions of Tk. 5,000 each; namely, i) Garbhanga Middle Para on 2 nd , ii) Garbhanga East Para on 23 rd , and iii) Garbhanga West Para on 27 th August. The collection of other UC s is also going well.

1 . - 5) AMC Meeting s

a) Ward AMC Meeting s : A meeting was held at Garbhanga Bazar with W ard # 1 AMC on 23 rd , attended by 14 members . Another meeting was held with W # 2 AMC at Garbhanga Bazar on 31 st , attended by 15 persons. They finally announced a DTW spot for Garbhanga West Para , though earlier there were some bifurcate ideas among the users. They hope d 98% of the users would agree with today's decision.

Both AMCs suggested for keeping collaboration so that they can cooperate with AAN's program. AMC Chairman of W #1 made a request for allotting 3 DTWs in his Ward to solve the arsenic crisis , and Chairman of W # 2 AMC requested 2 more DTW s in his Ward.

2. Monitoring of Safe Water Devices

2. - 1) KRK Pipeline

a) Accounts: The pipeline water supply system is running well, though s ix taps are s till in hand of the Committee. Ruhul Quddus visited on 1 st August and found water quality is good .

Sumon organized a UC meeting on 27 th August where 11 persons from the Committee attended. Sumon , with the presence of Shamim Uddin , explain ed the receipt and payment accounts of KRK Pipeline from August 2004 to July 2005. T he t otal income , including the gains of 3 , 400 Tk . by selling spare pipe s, was 32,992 Tk. w hereas the expenditure was so far 39,587 Tk. The balance of 6,595 Tk. was the unpaid salary of the caretaker , Mr. Fazlu . The Committee decided to call a meeting to discuss the situation.

Expenses were also analyzed item by item and the result is shown in the graph on the right.

b) Jute is rotten in Baor: On 17 th August when Sumon visited the KRK Pipeline site he found some villagers were soaking their jute in the baor water. Villagers said that the number of jute grawers who use the baor for soaking jute increased due to little rainfall causing the shortage of water in their own ponds . It is feared that the smell of rotten jute might remain in the filtered water of the pipeline system. However, the Users Committee has not take n any steps for that so far.

2. - 2) Construction of Panchbhulat PSF

The work at the Sharsha Option #37 in Panchbhulat to convert a DW filter to a pond sand filter (PSF) was finished on 27 th August, including gravel loading and fencing the donated pond. Water quality will be tested in the 2 nd week of September.

2. - 3) UC Meeting of Srimontokhati PSF #3

AAN was informed earlier about the conflict of User s Committee of Srimontokhati PSF #3 and tried to solve the problem at two meeting s on 19 th and 24 th of August. The problem arose between Secretary and President while the pond re- excavation was going on . Shamim Uddin, Tarun and Sumon took part at the meeting s , which decided that other members , excluding president , would work for continuing the PSF .

2. - 4) Activation of Chupria PSF #1

On 10 th August Shamim Khan and Rezaul Karim Razu visited Chupria PSF #1 for taking water sample s after activating it last month after one year. But the y found that water was not coming to the sand filter from the pond . They asked some of the UC members to repair the pipe and wash out the dust on the SSF and HRF chamber s .
It is now performing well , and water quality should be tested soon.With regard to the reformation of the Users Committee, no progress has been made so far in spite of our efforts.

3. Medical Support

3. - 1) Arsenicosis Patients

a)Treatment: In early July Dr. Faruquee submitted a list of 13 arsenicosis patients with suggestions for treatment. Sachie Tushima discussed the list at a meeting with AAN Japan while she was in Miyazaki. They recommended that patients with Bowen's disease should be prioritized. Accordingly it was decide d at the CMC meeting on 4 th August that 9 patients with that symptom would be receiving treatment at YDFH after dividing them into two groups. Aklima and Tarun first met with 5 patients ; namely, 1 each from Marua, Mazdia, Gopinathpur and 2 from Samta.
	Five patients gathered at AAN Jessore Office before setting off to Dhaka . Sultan Gazi in inset.
But 4 patients , excluding the one in Gopinathpur , did not want to receive treatment in Dhaka. AAN , therefore, contact ed the rest 4 patients in Srimontokathi and all of them showed their willingness to have treatment. The five patients were admitted at YDFH on 12 th August.
b) Sultan Gazi' s Death : While Sultan Gazi (80) was receiving treatment at YDFH, he had heart disorders and died at the National Institute of Cardio Vascular Diseases (NICVD) Hospital in Dhaka on 21 st August at 9:00am. S ayed Sunny accompanied him to carry his dead body to his house in Srimontokathi . A AN explain ed his family and villagers of the reason of his death. AAN supported 5000 Tk . for his funeral.

3. - 2) Medicine Distribution

Aklima started distributing medicine s after purchasing vitamin s C and E. Around 112 patients received medicine s under this program.

4. Laboratory

4. - 1) Water Quality Test:

Marua GSF # 3 (attached with AAN DTW) was completed in July. To check fecal and total coliform in the filtered water after chlorination , Shamim Khan went to Marua and collected water samples including those of DW #1 and DW #2. The dugwells were repaired also in July but water quality had not been tested. He also checked water quality of Srimontokhati PSF #3 where after excavation of the pond people started drink ing .

Newly installed GSF #3 in Marua

The result of the analysis is shown in the table below:

Parameters	Bangladesh Standard	Marua DW #1		Marua DW #2		Marua GSF #3		Srimontokathi PSF-3
Raw water	Filter ed water	Raw water	Filter ed water	Raw water	Filter ed water	Raw water	Filte red water	Raw water	Filter ed water
pH	6.5~8.5	6.67	7.16	7.02	7.27	6.68	7.09	7.11	7.42
DO (mg/L)	6	0.99	1.38	1.06	0.39	NT	3.54	5.68	5.37
Conductivity (mS/cm)	-	997	971	1247	1010	484	421	392	383
TDS (mg/L)	1000	457	433	582	457	219	179	181	177
Turbidity (FAU)	10	0	0	8	0	0	0	73	0
As (mg/L )	0.05	0.179	0.087	0.044	0.021	0.105	0.001	0.002	<0.001
Fe (mg/L)	0.3~1.0	8.297	< 0 .1	0.257	< 0 .1	1.735	< 0 .1	2.102	< 0 .1
Mn (mg/L)	0.1	0.155	0.277	0.786	0.985	<0.1	<0.1	<0.1	< 0 .1
NH 4 + (mg/L)	0.64	7.32	6.1	0.17	2.49	1.32	0.27	0.66	0.05
NO 3 - (mg/L)	44	1.7	0.5	5.9	1.1	1	0.6	2.8	1.1
PO 4 3- (mg/L)	6	2.24	0.64	0.21	0.2 0	0.62	0.23	0.11	0.16
Fecal Coliform (cfu/100ml)	0		<1		<1		<1		<1
Total Coliform(cfu/100ml)	0		<1		<1		<1
NT = Not tested. * All parameters , except Fecal , were tested on 25th July for Marua GSF #3 and on 25th Aug ust for other options. Fecal Coliform was tested on 31st August 2005 .

4. - 2) Water Analysis for BUET

At the request of Prof. Faruk Ahmed of BUET , Shamim Khan also analyze d both raw and filtered waters of PSF water in Chowgachha Upazila for some parameters such as turbidity and fecal coliform.

4. - 3) Laboratory Development

AAN purchased a 4-digit electronic balance for the Laboratory to measure reagents, suspended solids in surface water, etc . It has proved to be of great use. It is going to be very useful for the water quality survey on surface water options during the monsoon period planned for next month . Some glass ware such as petri dishes was also purchased.

5. General

5. - 1) Meet ing with New Sharsha UNO

Shamim Uddin, Tarun Hore and Junko Nakamura called on new Sharsha UNO , Mr. Basir Ahmed , on 29 th August. This was the first time for us to meet with him although he joined as UNO in Sharsha in May. He asked our activities in Sharsha Upazila. He appeared to be cordial and f riendly . We gave him some of our reports. He proposed AAN to install another pipeline water supply system using baor water of Bahadurpur Union. Both of us hoped to work closely for arsenic mitigation in Sharsha.

5. - 2) Visitors

A 9-member JICA Study Team , headed by Mr. Hiroshi Jigami , visited the Sharsha Project area on 2 nd August. They visited the AAN Laboratory first , and then the KRK Pipeline site. They also saw the PSF and some arsenicosis patient s in Samta Village. From AAN Sachie Tsushima, Shamim Uddin, Tarun Hore and Monjuara Parvin accompanied them.

5. - 3) Others

•	Proposal for Monsoonal Survey: Tarun prepared a proposal for Monsoonal water quality survey to JICA.
•	Leaflet of Laboratory: Shamim Uddin made a leaflet of Laboratory to introducing AAN Laboratory to others.
•	JICA/AAN Option Monitoring Report: Tarun has started preparing a report on the monitoring survey of options installed during the last project under the JICA Partnership Program.

(20/10/05)