Despite different projects by the Dhaka Wasa, residents of the capital are getting foul-odoured water as they head into summer months.
As part of one its ongoing mega projects, the Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (Wasa) is replacing water pipelines across the city. Once the project is completed by the end of this year, the city’s residents are supposed to get drinkable water straight out of the tap, according to Wasa officials.
But such promises seem far-fetched to residents of Dhaka, a city of over 17 million, who more than often suffer from disrupted water supply and develop waterborne diseases.
Several Dhaka Wasa officials told the Dhaka Tribune that supplying drinkable water is a colossal challenge because of unplanned development, unapproved settlements and lack of awareness among landlords in the city.
But the Wasa chief insisted that the supplied water has always been safe to drink.
“Wasa’s supplied water is always pure and safe to drink. Some might be getting dirty water for pipe leakage that occurred during road digging or other reasons,” said Wasa Managing Director Taqsem A Khan.
He also blamed landlords for not cleaning reserve water tanks in the basements of their buildings.
Taqsem said there would be no need to boil tap water once all supply pipelines are replaced by December.
However, as of March, many areas in the city continue to receive dubious-smelling water.
The Dhaka Tribune spoke to residents from the city’s Mirpur, Mohammadpur, Dhanmondi, Kazipara, Farmgate, Rajabazar, Kalabagan, Shajahanpur, Shantinagar, Badda – and they all complained about getting dirty water coming through their taps for the past couple of months.
“Every year we see a water crisis in this area, and often we find waste and insect coming through Wasa pipelines,” said Farid Ahmed, a resident of Tejkunipara.
Taslima Akhter, who lives in Kazipara, said they cannot use tap water for even household works as it has a horrible smell.
“Because of drinking smelly and dirty water, children are suffering from stomach and skin diseases. So last month, we spent a lot of money to buy and drink water from jars and bottles,” she said.
Waterborne diseases are common throughout the city. According to ICDDRB, an average of 700 people received treatment for diarrhoea every day between the months of April and August in 2014 and 2015.
A 2014 study by the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Diseases and Research Bangladesh (ICDDRB) also found the presence of E Coli bacteria in 63% of the water supplied by Dhaka Wasa.
The summer months are arriving with increased risks of waterborne diseases, with Wasa officials warning that the quality of water at Wasa treatment plants are unlikely to improve before monsoon because of the highly polluted waters of rivers Buriganga and Shitalakkhya.