Coping with diarrhoea outbreak
Friday, 19 March 2010
Summer time has arrived in the country and usually the outbreak of some diseases are noted at this time of the year such as intestinal diseases, pox, measles, etc. According to a media report, 30 diarrhoea patients on average are getting admitted to hospitals in Dhaka city every hour these days. The most of the ones falling ill with diarrhoea are from the poor sections of the population.
Obviously, there is also a relationship between the intestinal disorder and maintaining of hygiene. People usually get diarrohea from drinking unsafe water. There is a scarcity of safe water in the city. The scarcity worsens in the summer months when the demand increases but supply falls far short in meeting the demand. Besides, a great deal of the limited supplies of water is also found unusable or people use the same with great risks to their health. Piped water supplied in some parts of the city smells foul all the time. The Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) says that they are unable to filter properly the extremely polluted surface waters drawn from rivers adjoining the city. But WASA-supplied waters are also contaminated from sewer and water lines leaking in many places and getting enmeshed. People in large numbers coming down with diarrohea recently has a lot to do with such leaking and entangled lines than any other factor.
People in the city are generally accustomed to boiling their water before drinking the same. But pathologists say that some germs are very stubborn and can survive high temperatures. For inadequate gas supplies that hazard firing their stoves, lack of knowledge and impatience, the water is not boiled for the necessary duration. In sum, there is just no better option than ensuring water free from bacteria to be supplied by the WASA in bringing down the cases of diarrhoea.
The first task in order for WASA would be carrying out a crash programme to detect its leaked lines and mend them simultaneously at the fastest. Secondly, WASA may opt for boosting fresher underground supply of water at least for the length of the few hot months or till the rains arrive by digging and operating more deep tubewells. Further lifting of underground water is not recommended in view of the fast depleting and lowered underground water reserves in and around the city. But some risks have to be taken for a few months and water supplies from underground sources need to be augmented purely on a temporary basis as coping measure against diarrohea and other diseases. The underground water sources would likely be recharged during the rainy season. Furthermore, regular and prominent publicities ought to be maintained in the media to educate people on how long they should boil water and about other supportive purification methods.
In the medium and longer terms, WASA should go all out to augment dependable and relatively fresher water supplies for the city. Harvesting of rainwater should be an important part of such schemes. Better quality surface water will have to be brought from the Padma or Brahmaputra rivers for supplying Dhaka. Donor-funded projects to this end should be readied and completed expeditiously. Industries on river banks within and near Dhaka city must be obliged to set up and operate effluent treatment plants (ETPs).
Obviously, there is also a relationship between the intestinal disorder and maintaining of hygiene. People usually get diarrohea from drinking unsafe water. There is a scarcity of safe water in the city. The scarcity worsens in the summer months when the demand increases but supply falls far short in meeting the demand. Besides, a great deal of the limited supplies of water is also found unusable or people use the same with great risks to their health. Piped water supplied in some parts of the city smells foul all the time. The Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) says that they are unable to filter properly the extremely polluted surface waters drawn from rivers adjoining the city. But WASA-supplied waters are also contaminated from sewer and water lines leaking in many places and getting enmeshed. People in large numbers coming down with diarrohea recently has a lot to do with such leaking and entangled lines than any other factor.
People in the city are generally accustomed to boiling their water before drinking the same. But pathologists say that some germs are very stubborn and can survive high temperatures. For inadequate gas supplies that hazard firing their stoves, lack of knowledge and impatience, the water is not boiled for the necessary duration. In sum, there is just no better option than ensuring water free from bacteria to be supplied by the WASA in bringing down the cases of diarrhoea.
The first task in order for WASA would be carrying out a crash programme to detect its leaked lines and mend them simultaneously at the fastest. Secondly, WASA may opt for boosting fresher underground supply of water at least for the length of the few hot months or till the rains arrive by digging and operating more deep tubewells. Further lifting of underground water is not recommended in view of the fast depleting and lowered underground water reserves in and around the city. But some risks have to be taken for a few months and water supplies from underground sources need to be augmented purely on a temporary basis as coping measure against diarrohea and other diseases. The underground water sources would likely be recharged during the rainy season. Furthermore, regular and prominent publicities ought to be maintained in the media to educate people on how long they should boil water and about other supportive purification methods.
In the medium and longer terms, WASA should go all out to augment dependable and relatively fresher water supplies for the city. Harvesting of rainwater should be an important part of such schemes. Better quality surface water will have to be brought from the Padma or Brahmaputra rivers for supplying Dhaka. Donor-funded projects to this end should be readied and completed expeditiously. Industries on river banks within and near Dhaka city must be obliged to set up and operate effluent treatment plants (ETPs).