During the years preceding 1976/77, fifty thousand tube wells were installed every year in Bangladesh. UNICEF had helped to adapt the design of the pumps, incorporating recommendations from the Battelle Memorial Institute. The pump was known as Bangladesh No. 6. However, maintenance by the government soon became an issue. Ken: I seem to recall that when young Phillipe arrived in Bangladesh fresh from Belgium, he had very little English but was posted to Khulna. That's what is known as being thrown in at the deep end! Philippe: I was a small fry at that time. I managed to organise a Survey on the Maintenance and Condition of Hand Pump Tube Wells in Rural Bangladesh. The survey looked at 1,230 tube wells in 123 villages, to find out their condition, who was maintaining them, who was providing the spare parts, the performance of the government mechanics, the charges of the local Pump Mistry, and what was needed to enable the communities to do the maintenance by themselves. Th...