Dhaka Wasa water safe at source
"You have to make sure that contamination does not happen within the pipelines," said Tazul Islam, minister of the local government, rural development and cooperatives ministry.
Dhaka Wasa and the icddr,b yesterday said they tested Wasa supply water at source and found it to be safe.
Tazul Islam, minister of the local government, rural development and cooperatives ministry, who was present at the press conference where this was announced, pointed out that contamination happens during the distribution of supply water.
The press conference was held at the Wasa Bhaban on the same day WaterAid and PPRC held a separate press briefing and said about 41 percent of the people across the country do not get safe water.
Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (Wasa) and icddr,b (International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh) found that sludge and untreated sewage water running through the drains contain and transmit coronavirus.
The virus disappears when treated, showed samples tested at treatment plants. The virus does not exist in rivers and ponds, the organisations revealed.
However, the two organisations did not test tap water or water from pipes within the Wasa distribution network.
Minister Tazul Islam said, "You have to make sure that contamination does not happen within the pipelines."
"Managing director, please quickly replace such pipelines. Treat it as a serious concern," he said, addressing Wasa MD Taqsem A Khan.
He commended the findings by Wasa and icddr,b but added, "Please ensure that other viruses do not enter the water."
The Wasa MD reiterated that Dhaka Wasa was one of the best such agencies in Southeast Asia.
Speakers at the WaterAid and Power and Participation Research Centre (PPRC) press conference pointed out that 41 percent of the country's population had no access to safe drinking water and that 61 percent did not have access to safe sanitation.
Speakers there said that Dhaka Wasa received the highest 61 percent of the annual development programme budget while Khulna Wasa remained at the bottom with only 3 percent. Chattogram Wasa got 23 percent of the budget, while Rajshahi Wasa got 13 percent.
Dhaka WASA's ADP allocation shows an upward jump over 2019-20 to cover the cost of delays in implementation of big projects while Khulna, a climate hotspot, receives a paltry allocation unchanged over the years, said the speakers.
Resolving the governance challenges, like low performance amid continuous project delays and cost overruns, should be a priority to ensure more effective utilisation of budget allocations, they added.
The speakers included PPRC Chairman Hossain Zillur Rahman, WaterAid Country Director Hasin Jahan, and PPRC Senior Fellow Mohammad Abdul Wazed.
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