Report on Pond Preservation Activity from Brotee

1. The two villages that we have selected and implementing our pond preservation activities are namely Kalosgram and Char Aicha under the district of Barisal, whose progress up to August 31st is highlighted below:
· An office has been set up at Barisal Sadar and assigned a Coordinator to monitor frequently the pond preservation process with a continuous technical support from Brotee Head Office in Dhaka for effective implementation.

· Series of Focus Group Discussion (FGD), Personal counseling with the arsenic victims continuing till to date in the mentioned villages to raise their awareness.

· Formed two Arsenic Rogi Sangho (ARS) as well as two Gono Gobeshona Dal (GGD) in both villages.

· Prepared structural questionnaire to find out arsenic victims.

· Conducted series of training/orientation to GGD & ARS on how to mitigate arsenic problem and options for safe drinking water.

· A professor under the department of dermatology of Barisal Medical College associated with us since inception of our project who looks after arsenic victims at his chamber as and when required.

· A few antioxidants (Vitamin A, C & E) distributing time to time among arsenic victims.

· ARS along with GGD prepared arsenic patient list at the said villages.

· Re-excavated two ponds both Kalosgram & Char Aicha donated by the community.

· Build up dike and placed fence surrounding ponds soon after digging ponds.

· Arsenic victims are convinced to drink pond water after water treatment.

· Since last June 2002, the arsenic victims are drinking pond water after purification through alum.

· Meanwhile, level of awareness on safe water and arsenicosis has increased.

· Patient to be monitored for the next six months.

· For critical patients we refer them to Dhaka Community Hospital and Barisal Medical College.

· We have been collecting pond water of two villages each and every month and send it to laboratory for water quality testing here in Dhaka.

· We chalked out a plan of operation to set up Brotee filter at aforesaid villages within the second week of this month (It is an action research project).

· Due to continuous motivation and orientation on rain water harvesting, arsenic victims are collecting rain water, preserving water in local pots and then drinking.

· Brotee's staff members keep close liaison with the villagers and provide them with all possible cooperation.

· We are maintaining continuous liaison and sharing ideas with water experts who are involved in arsenic mitigation.

2. We built up a dike surrounding the selected pond, so that the natural disaster like flood will not affect the pond. It has to be mentioned over here that, meanwhile we have collected data regarding flood situation index of the particular area. If flood occurs in the near future, and if it is unprecedented and beyond control, water level will be raised over the dike. In particular situations we shall adopt other option, to supply safe water to the community people at the villages.

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