Overcoming water crisis

Munir uz Zaman/ Drik News

THE people of Dhaka are passing through a severe water crisis, which may become worse in the near future. Every year, we face this crisis and the situation, as it appears, is deteriorating. The Water and Sewerage Authority (Wasa) has admitted that it is beyond their capacity to overcome the crisis alone.
The present crisis is due to lack of coordination among the ministries involved with city development, such as the ministries of industry, agriculture, environment, law and commerce.
In fact, it is not right to blame only Wasa because the government has failed to pay enough attention to production and distribution of useable water for the people of a very rapidly growing city with a large number of small and medium industries around it.
Long neglect and lukewarm attention from concerned authorities to the question of existing and probable future problems of water for the people of the metropolis have brought us to this state.
We wonder as to whether there was ever any serious, clear and close discussion at the appropriate levels about extraction of underground water or even preservation and storage of surface water.
We have a department of environment and BIWTA for looking after the environmental problems of the city, and a ministry to see to the navigability of the rivers Buriganga, Sitalakhya, Turag and Balu. We have the ministry of industry to fix the locations of industries. We have the ministry of commerce to solve the problems relating to supplies of commodities to the people. Despite the existence of these bodies we are now facing one of the worst water crises in history.
The present water crisis was not created in a day. Years of neglect and lack of proper planning have resulted in this situation. Overcoming it may take at least 5 to 6 years if the mobilisation of men, material and money can be arranged in time.
Despite this grim picture we may have at least some consolation that the prime minister will open the second water treatment plant at Sayedabad in May. This plant will supply 220 million liters of good quality water/day. It is also learnt that government has completed plans for two more water treatment plants, one to be located at Khilkhet and other near Pagla, for supply of two hundred million liters of water/day.
Not long ago there were many canals and swamps around Dhaka. Due to increase in population, setting up of around three and a half thousand small and medium industries, and throwing of effluents in these rivers there is heavy pollution of the waters of major rivers, which has resulted in loss of fish and pollution of the agricultural land all around.
Extraction of ground water has reached a dangerous level. 85 percent of Wasa water comes from underground extraction and surface water provides only 15 percent. 1300 million litres of water are extracted every day, while the maximum limit for extraction of ground water should be 230 million litres/day. This lowers the level of ground water by 3 metres/year.
With regard to surface water Wasa depends on the rivers around Dhaka but, due to continuous discharge of industrial effluents from industrial plants, the waters of Buriganga and Sitalakhya have become unfit for treatment.
The chief of Wasa has stated that without active support and cooperation from all concerned it will be impossible for it to overcome the crisis alone. We are inclined to accept the observation of the Wasa chief. In fact, sincere and well-concerted effort is needed. It is learnt that the government is considering the constitution of a taskforce consisting of members from Wasa, Rehab, the Directorate of Environment, and Dhaka University.
A hard truth is that corruption in Wasa must be brought down to a tolerable limit. Wasa's weak statistical base must be strengthened. Let us not hear any more statements based mainly on assumption or made-up figures.
Smooth water supply is essential for investment and development. There may be shortage of manpower, equipment and finance, but with sincere, serious and vigorous effort and cooperation form the common, influential and powerful people the problem of water may be solved.
A.B.M.S. Zahur is a former Joint Secretary.