The High Court on Tuesday directed that a five-member committee be formed to test the quality of the water supplied by the Dhaka Water Supply & Sewerage Authority (Wasa).
A High Court bench of Justices JBM Hassan and Md Khairul Alam issued the order with a ruling after hearing a writ petition.
The court also asked to submit the report within next two months, reports UNB.
A World Bank report on water supply, sanitation, hygiene and poverty in Bangladesh was attached to the writ petition in the High Court.
The High Court directed the inclusion of delegation from a local government Department;International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR,B); Bureau of Research Testing and Consultation (BRPDC) of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET); and Dhaka University's pharmacy and microbiology departments.
Besides, the court also issued a rule asking the authorities concerned why their negligence and inaction in supplying water willnot be declared illegal.
Local government authorities, Health secretary, director general of Directorate of Health,chief engineer of Public Health Engineering,managing directors of Dhaka, Chittagong and Khulna Wasahave been asked to respond to the rule within four weeks.
Supreme Court Lawyer Md Tanvir Ahmed who filed the writ on October 14 said the World Bank published a report on the presence of bacteria in Wasa water.
A World Bank report released on October 11 revealed that Ecoli bacteria was present in 80% of household tap-water sampled across the country and a similar rate to water retrieved from ponds.