Prevent wastage of water

We observed World Water Day this year, keeping around 26 million people in the country out of access to improved drinking water. There is still more than 20 million people drinking water that contains arsenic. Close to 90 per cent of these people live in rural areas. Media reports revealed drinking water is costlier in the aila affected areas of the country's south-western districts compared to urban areas. Locally treated drinking water from a pond is reported to have sold at two taka per litre. Women and children have to undertake a long journey everyday to collect drinking water from far flung areas. A couple of decades ago it was beyond our imagination that drinking water can be traded as a product. Alongside this there is other picture of wastage of water in the urban areas. Urban people possibly do not know that the amount of water they waste keeping the tap open while shaving or washing faces each time can quench the thirst of thirty people. It has been experienced, particularly in the government offices and residential quarters that an out of order tap remains without replacement or repair for days and water continue to fall.  
Arsenic contamination, industrial pollution, saline intrusion in the coastal belt, contamination of river water and decrease in ground water level in many parts of the country were major reasons for the shortage of safe water.  Rivers were the main source of drinking water and daily needs even a couple of decades ago; but they are now dried up and the land grabbers occupying them. The rivers around the capital are most vulnerable to pollution as they have turned into stinky drains due to industrial, household and river transport wastes and encroachment. Tanneries in the capital's Hazaribagh area along with other industries continue to discharge untreated wastes worsening the situation. There are laws to check these unholy acts. We have seen that government initiatives and tough drives from time to time yielded encouraging results.
What we need to overcome the situation is realisation of our good sense and strict enforcement of law.

Abdul Hakeem
Mirpur, Dhaka