HC wants expert opinion

The High Court yesterday wanted expert opinions on two separate test reports on water supplied by Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (Wasa).

Terming the test reports “highly technical”, the court sent those to an expert committee formed by local government and rural development (LGRD) ministry, and asked the committee to place their opinions before it by October 23.

It said Wasa’s duty is to ensure drinkable water, which is a continuous process.

The HC passed an order and made the observation after Attorney General Mahbubey Alam yesterday placed a test report, saying water supplied by Wasa to Mirpur and Patla Khan areas are safe.

While hearing a writ petition, the attorney general said samples of Wasa water in Mirpur and Patla Khan areas have recently been tested at laboratories in Buet and icddr,b, and no harmful bacteria -- like coliform -- were found in the samples.

On July 7, the LGRD ministry submitted a test report to the HC, saying the water supplied by four out of Wasa’s 10 MODS Zones and two out of its four source points were contaminated with harmful bacteria.

The report, that was placed before the HC through the attorney general’s office on July 7, also suggested immediate measures.

The LGRD ministry formed an expert committee that tested the water at the labs of Buet, Dhaka University and icddr,b as per an earlier order of the court.

Yesterday, the HC bench of Justice JBM Hassan and Justice Md Khairul Alam asked the four-member expert committee to provide its opinions after examining both the test reports and set October 23 for further hearing on the issue.

Following a writ petition filed by Supreme Court lawyer Tanvir Ahmed, the HC on November 7 last year ordered the LGRD ministry to form the committee to test quality of the water supplied by Wasa.