Agonised by Dhaka WASA's filthy and unsafe water
Friday, 20 March 2009
Enamul Haque
Water is like life to its users. From bathing to washing to toileting and drinking, there are indispensable sides to the need and utility of water for sustaining normal life and living. But waters supplied through the pipes of the Dhaka Water and Sewerage Authority ( DWASA) are becoming like a nightmare to the tens of of millions of its users in Dhaka city. For in the name of water, they are being supplied with water that contains dangerous impurities. Even human excreta is seen floating in DWASA supplied waters in some places as the leaking sewer lines and water lines have enmeshed there . River waters supplied by WASA are found to be smelly and impure as the too heavily polluted river water cannot be adequately filtered.
The direct consequences of such filthy water supply is showing up in many areas of metropolitan Dhaka. People are forced to buy mineral water bottles for drinking at a cost to their purses and incomes. Sometimes, they take baths after days in other areas where the water supply is relatively better. In other cases, they carry the relatively better or fresher water over long distances for cooking, cleaning and washing as the water that comes out of the pipes in their own homes are too odorous and unclean. According to newspaper reports, many densely populated areas of the city are facing these problems. Life is simply becoming hellish for the residents of these areas as they cannot use piped ,they have to fetch it from elsewhere. The agonies are becoming unbearable indeed. People of the affected areas are also falling ill with different infectious and skin diseases. Some are on the edges of losing their sanity from the every day stresses they face from not finding clean water.
Thus, it is high time for the authorities who ought to be concerned to swing into action on emergency basis to come to the rescue of dangerously distressed people on this score. The spots where leaking sewer and water lines have tangled together must be immediately spotted and repaired. Greater efforts must be made-- immediately again-- to try and better filter river waters. Even some underground deep tube wells may be sunk on highest priority basis for the time being to supply fresh water. For the longer term, all water supply projects with support from donor agencies and countries, must be expedited in a fully focused manner.
Unregulated discharge of the industrial effluents is contaminating waters of rivers and aquatic life in them and similarly spoiling underground water aquifers from seepage through soil. Soil affected by such discharge is also turning toxic and dangerous for any form of human use. Thus, the compulsory establishment of the effluent treatment plants ( ETPs) by the industries cannot wait. A survey of the Department of the Environment (DOE) revealed that only 56 out of 466 surveyed industries by it in the Dhaka Division were found to be running ETPs. The greater number of the rest have not set up ETPs or are only faking that they have been operating such plants.
The rivers that flow through and past Dhaka city are in extremely burdened conditions from the carefree discharge of all forms of untreated effluents in them. Recent newspaper photos highlighted prominently the very degraded water quality of the affected parts of these rivers. The urgency of restoring the water quality of these rivers has become an urgency in view of the fact that surface waters from the rivers are being widely used for supplying in the city for household uses. But frequent reports appear in the press about the poor quality of the water supplied by DWASA. DWASA authorities on their part point to the unchecked pollution of the rivers from untreated discharge of effluents-- both human excrements and industrial wastes -- that make the tasks of purification extremely difficult these days.
Clearly, therefore, it is so very important to take up on emergency basis the works at different levels so that the discharge of pollutants in the rivers can be immediately and appropriately controlled. Recent newspaper reports indicated that the relevant authorities were pushing the polluters, especially the operators of textile mills, to set up and operate effluent treatment plants (ETPs). The establishment of a central ETP for the purpose was also under consideration. But the realities at the field level as reflected in these reports, indicate that hardly any progress was achieved to these ends.
Water is like life to its users. From bathing to washing to toileting and drinking, there are indispensable sides to the need and utility of water for sustaining normal life and living. But waters supplied through the pipes of the Dhaka Water and Sewerage Authority ( DWASA) are becoming like a nightmare to the tens of of millions of its users in Dhaka city. For in the name of water, they are being supplied with water that contains dangerous impurities. Even human excreta is seen floating in DWASA supplied waters in some places as the leaking sewer lines and water lines have enmeshed there . River waters supplied by WASA are found to be smelly and impure as the too heavily polluted river water cannot be adequately filtered.
The direct consequences of such filthy water supply is showing up in many areas of metropolitan Dhaka. People are forced to buy mineral water bottles for drinking at a cost to their purses and incomes. Sometimes, they take baths after days in other areas where the water supply is relatively better. In other cases, they carry the relatively better or fresher water over long distances for cooking, cleaning and washing as the water that comes out of the pipes in their own homes are too odorous and unclean. According to newspaper reports, many densely populated areas of the city are facing these problems. Life is simply becoming hellish for the residents of these areas as they cannot use piped ,they have to fetch it from elsewhere. The agonies are becoming unbearable indeed. People of the affected areas are also falling ill with different infectious and skin diseases. Some are on the edges of losing their sanity from the every day stresses they face from not finding clean water.
Thus, it is high time for the authorities who ought to be concerned to swing into action on emergency basis to come to the rescue of dangerously distressed people on this score. The spots where leaking sewer and water lines have tangled together must be immediately spotted and repaired. Greater efforts must be made-- immediately again-- to try and better filter river waters. Even some underground deep tube wells may be sunk on highest priority basis for the time being to supply fresh water. For the longer term, all water supply projects with support from donor agencies and countries, must be expedited in a fully focused manner.
Unregulated discharge of the industrial effluents is contaminating waters of rivers and aquatic life in them and similarly spoiling underground water aquifers from seepage through soil. Soil affected by such discharge is also turning toxic and dangerous for any form of human use. Thus, the compulsory establishment of the effluent treatment plants ( ETPs) by the industries cannot wait. A survey of the Department of the Environment (DOE) revealed that only 56 out of 466 surveyed industries by it in the Dhaka Division were found to be running ETPs. The greater number of the rest have not set up ETPs or are only faking that they have been operating such plants.
The rivers that flow through and past Dhaka city are in extremely burdened conditions from the carefree discharge of all forms of untreated effluents in them. Recent newspaper photos highlighted prominently the very degraded water quality of the affected parts of these rivers. The urgency of restoring the water quality of these rivers has become an urgency in view of the fact that surface waters from the rivers are being widely used for supplying in the city for household uses. But frequent reports appear in the press about the poor quality of the water supplied by DWASA. DWASA authorities on their part point to the unchecked pollution of the rivers from untreated discharge of effluents-- both human excrements and industrial wastes -- that make the tasks of purification extremely difficult these days.
Clearly, therefore, it is so very important to take up on emergency basis the works at different levels so that the discharge of pollutants in the rivers can be immediately and appropriately controlled. Recent newspaper reports indicated that the relevant authorities were pushing the polluters, especially the operators of textile mills, to set up and operate effluent treatment plants (ETPs). The establishment of a central ETP for the purpose was also under consideration. But the realities at the field level as reflected in these reports, indicate that hardly any progress was achieved to these ends.