In many areas, residents have complained that criminals use these pump houses for anti-social activities and gather almost everyday especially in the evening for taking drugs or for gambling. Sometimes prostitutes are also brought along.

The pump house at Azimpur is known as a popular spot for drug peddlers.

"That place is used as a store for drugs and the items are also sold from there," said a local shopkeeper.

An operator of the pump house in Narinda admitted that gambling was a regular feature there but they had no other option but to keep mum over it out of fear.

Dhaka WASA has 404 pump houses under its jurisdiction. At least 77 of these have reportedly become safe havens for criminals as they are situated in isolated locations away from the public view and surrounded by walls.

"Lower ranking officials of the WASA are responsible for the operation of these pumps and that is why they do not have the executive power and courage to protest or complain against the criminal activities," said a WASA official.

Pump houses have been used as torture chambers also.

"A few days ago goons of a political party brought two men of their rival party here and beat them up mercilessly until they became unconscious. We spent a whole day in anxiety over what to say to the police if they came to the pump," said an operator of Moghbazar Wireless Colony area.

Three operators work on eight-hour shifts each in every pump house and they have their sleeping arrangements inside the pump. But most of the time gangsters and their accomplices occupy the beds.

"At night criminals of the locality come here and take drugs but I can not tell them anything. Often I have to serve them even. Gangsters sometimes bring prostitutes with them and then I have to sacrifice my bed and sleep on the floor," said an operator in Mirpur.

He also informed that they do not complain to the police because of threats on their lives.

In the old quarters of the city criminals allegedly control the supply of water in connivance with operators and share the money earned from illegally selling water.

"The pump operators sell water at a higher rate than the normal price while creating an artificial crisis. They then share the money with the criminals," said a resident of Wari.

Police officials are also aware of criminals using pump houses as their dens.

"I found a number of listed criminals inside the Gudaraghat pump house in Mirpur while chasing a miscreant who had entered that pump house," said a police official.

"There is always the possibility of criminals hiding inside pump houses and that is why I always tell my men to petrol the pump houses regularly," said M Mahbubur Rahman, officer in-charge of Ramna Police Station.

Operators of pump houses said that they have complained many times to the authorities to take action but apparently the WASA high-ups have remained apathetic to the call.

"We have not received any complaints officially," claimed A N M Aktar Hossain, managing director of WASA when contacted.