Probaho, a private sector-driven safe drinking water initiative, has taken on this challenge and started its journey in 2009 to support the government in mitigating the country’s water-related issues, especially in the arsenic-prone zones. As Probaho celebrates its 14th anniversary on the World Water Day, it aims to expand its coverage in the coastal belt to mitigate the water crisis escalated by climate change, while contributing to improving public health and livelihoods in the affected areas.
Probaho has installed 117 water filtration plants across 22 districts till date, providing approximately 580,000 liters of clean water to around 283,000 people every day. The project has also made significant strides in providing safe drinking water to people residing in salinity-prone areas of Satkhira, an area that is unfortunately susceptible to natural disasters.
The project has progressed from basic filtration technology to a more advanced reverse osmosis technology, and has recently installed four purification plants in Asashuni, Shyamnagar, and Nalta upazilas with great success. As a result, over 10,000 people now have access to clean drinking water, thereby protecting families in these areas from water-borne diseases. Probaho, on its 14th anniversary, endeavors to extend the availability of purified water to more people in the southern region where salinity and scarcity of clean water are persistent issues.
One of the beneficiaries of Probaho’s efforts, Mr. Shafiqul Islam from Shyamnagar in Satkhira, shared, “There is a severe crisis of safe drinking water in our area. So, we used to drink pond water, which took a heavy toll on our health. But ever since Probaho started supplying pure drinking water, our lives have changed significantly as our medical expense has decreased to a great extent.”
Probaho takes pride in supporting the Bangladesh government’s effort to achieve Sustainable Development Goals. In addition to supporting SDG #6 (Clean Water & Sanitation), it also supports SDGs #3 (Good Health & Well-being) and #10 (Reduced Inequalities). It also has a few successful public-private partnerships, working with Rajshahi City Corporation, Border Guard Bangladesh in St. Martin’s Island, and other organizations.
