The challenges and alternatives of water supply and sanitation in flood prone area: A case study for Bhuapur in Bangladesh

Bangladesh is a riverine country and frequently affected by floods. Depending on location and sanitation conditions, drinking water sources are often contaminated during flood and many waterborne diseases like dysentery, diarrhea, typhoid etc. spread out. This research investigates potable water and sanitation condition in a flood affected area at Bhuapur in Tangail, Bangladesh. The various parameters such as colour (25 TCU), turbidity (128 NTU), total coliform (1800/100 ml) and faecal coliform (80/100 ml) for raw water collected from Halda river and during flood is much higher as compared to the Bangladesh standard limit. It is recommended that fabricated biosand filter should be used at flood prone area because it can significantly remove impurities such as turbidity over 95.28% and 87.82% for Halda river and flooded tubewell water respectively. The test results for other parameters like colour, total and faecal coliform have been compared with WHO guide lines and Bangladesh standards and found within the acceptable limits. Besides, alternative sanitary latrines have also been suggested to protect sanitation during flood.