From Open Drains to a Mentor City — Faridpur's Sanitation Story 🇧🇩
Faridpur, the birthplace of poet Jasimuddin, sits on the banks of the Padma River, 116 km from Dhaka. With a population of 237,266 and 15% from low-income communities, ensuring safe sanitation for all was once a major challenge.
🚨 The Problem Open defecation, dirty latrines, and unsafe waste disposal were part of daily life. In 2014, open defecation stood at 6%. Today, it's zero. ✅
🔧 Step-by-Step Solutions
🔹 Better Emptying Services — Manual pit emptying was replaced first with semi-mechanical methods, then with Vacutug technology. When Vacutugs couldn't reach narrow lanes, Faridpur built its own custom vehicle — named "Gupta Dhan Service" 💡
🔹 Modern FSTP — A Fecal Sludge Treatment Plant now processes 24,000 litres of waste daily, turning treated sludge into eco-friendly organic fertiliser 🌱
🔹 FSM Corner — A dedicated service desk where residents can book pit-emptying services. Subsidised rates ensure access for the poor.
🔹 Plastic-to-Fuel — Solid waste, including plastic, is being converted into fuel ♻️
👩 Women Leading the Change 10 sanitation worker cooperatives exist in Faridpur — 3 led by women. A Compost Research & Training Centre (CRTC) trains workers on-site. And Lily Akter now produces sanitary napkins under her brand "Aparajita", making menstrual health affordable for local women. 🌸
Women-led development committees have formed in 25 of 62 slums, shaping their own Community Action Plans.
Once struggling with the basics, Faridpur is now a CWIS Mentor City — a model of transformation. 🌟
📄 To learn more, please read the document on Faridpur as a CWIS Mentor City.
🔗 [English] 🔗 [Bangla]
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