Rights activists seek safe water

Rights activists at a programme on Monday called for ensuring supply of safe drinking water by the authorities concerned to help curb the spread of diarrhoea in Dhaka city.
They also placed a set of recommendations, including regular laboratory test of supplied water, disclosure of findings and prioritising the underprivileged ones with safe water supply.
The suggestions were made at a citizen dialogue jointly organised by green rights platform Poribesh Bachao Andolon (POBA) and private research farm BARSIK at the National Press Club.
POBA chairman Abu Naser Khan joined the programme as the chief guest while general secretary Md Abdus Sobhan, Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon joint general secretary Mihir Biswas, among others, spoke.
Mr Sobhan says citizen's access to safe water is a constitutional right, but the state is not fulfilling the responsibility properly, resulting in a situation like the spread of diarrhoea.
Dhaka WASA managing director has recently recommended boiling water before drinking, which is reprehensible and a matter of regret, he adds.
The rights activist also lays emphasis on a deeper look into WASA's operations since it has not found any problem with the water after an investigation.
"It's a must to ensure transparency in all of WASA's operations," he said.
Mr Naser says the Dhaka must test water on a regular basis and make the report public.
"We know WASA has water testing facilities. However, the way they are challenging people with the water quality is not acceptable."
The POBA chief has urged commoners to be aware of moderate use of water.
BARSIK director Romaisa Samad chaired the programme, moderated by biodiversity researcher Pavel Partha.
BARSIK programme officer Sudipta Karmakar presented a concept paper that says a large number of people die of diarrhoea and cholera in Bangladesh annually.
But there has been a sudden increase in the diarrhoea cases in the recent times, it states.
According to official figures, the January-March period of this year reported at least 461,611 diarrhoea cases across the country.
The International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh reveals that 23 per cent of patients who are brought to the ICDDR,B suffer from severe diarrhoea or cholera.
This year, the hospital has received the highest number of patients in the past 60 years.

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