Wasa must fulfil its primary responsibility

It is unacceptable that the residents of south-eastern Dhaka are getting sewage-like stinky water from Dhaka Wasa. Unsurprisingly, the problem that the residents of that area have been facing is nothing new. According to the residents, this is a 20-year-old problem which has never been addressed properly by Wasa. So now the residents of the area are totally dependent on the nearby 20 mosques of East Jurain and South Shahjalalbagh to get fresh water supply from deep tube-wells.

Unfortunately, Wasa-supplied water has become an issue in both south and north Dhaka. A recent TIB report has revealed that about 35 percent of service-seekers complained of getting poor-quality water from Wasa throughout the year while nearly 45 percent of service-seekers in the capital said that they didn't get adequate supply of water from Dhaka Wasa. Only a few days ago, we have seen a sample of Wasa-supplied water in Jurain when the residents of the area went to the Wasa office with a jar full of muddy water. There is just no scope for the Wasa authorities to deny the fact that water supplied by them is undrinkable and sometimes unusable for other household purposes also.

Wasa must do everything in its power to ensure that the water supplied by them is potable and adequate. They must also test the water frequently to ensure that it is safe for use. The High Court in November last year formed a committee to test the quality of Wasa-supplied water. We would like to know if the committee has performed its duty properly, and if it did, it should make its findings public.