Floodwater contaminating household water reserves in Dhaka

A crisis of fresh water may occur in Dhaka as the stagnant rainwater is now seeping into the underground water storage tanks in residential buildings, contaminating the reserves. Several areas in both Dhaka South and Dhaka North have been waterlogged for the last few days due to constant rain as well as the city’s poor drainage system. Not only are the streets and alleyways submerged in rainwater, the ground floors of many buildings are flooded as well. Speaking to the Dhaka Tribune on Wednesday, residents of these buildings complained that the floodwater is now leaking into their building’s underground water tanks that store supply water, polluting the water. “The water that we get in our home now is dirty and smells bad,” said Tanvir Ahmed, resident of Shekhertek area in Mohammadpur. “We have stopped using the supply water.” He suspected the floodwater was also entering the water supply pipelines. “Maybe that is why the supply water is so bad.” Farida Begum, resident of Sukrabad area, said: “The floodwater is seeping into our reserve water tank and the septic tank, mixing it all up and contaminating the supply water. We do not use that water now.” Residents in Shewrapara and Mirpur areas also complained about dirty supply water. Farida Begum blamed the Dhaka Water Supply And Sewerage Authority (Wasa) and the two city corporations for failing to come up with a solution to the monsoon waterlogs which have been a longstanding problem in the city. She further added that her area goes under water even after a prolonged drizzle because of the poor drainage system in the area. When contacted, Dhaka Wasa Managing Director Taqsem A Khan said they were working to drain out the floodwater. “The waterlogs are a result of the rain which has been going on for four days. Draining the water out needs some time as our capacity is limited,” he told the Dhaka Tribune. He added that two Wasa pump stations in Rampura and Kallyanpur were working to their full capacity to pump the floodwater out of the city. “I urge the city residents to be patient; the water will recede soon.” Sources said both Dhaka North Mayor Annisul Huq and Dhaka South Mayor Sayeed Khokon visited the waterlogged areas in their jurisdictions, promising to resolve the problem immediately. Life in Dhaka has almost come to a halt due to the constant rain that started early Sunday morning. The Bangladesh Meteorological Department recorded 56mm rainfall in Dhaka between 7am and 1pm on Wednesday. Met officials said the rain might let up today. The prolonged bout of monsoon rain has flooded a significant part of the city. Commute has become extremely difficult due to the inundated streets as well as intense traffic congestion. Activities in the offices and academic institutions are greatly hampered; water has entered even the Bangladesh Secretariat, the Bangladesh Parliament building, Ganabhaban and the Prime Minister’s Office. Despite the Dhaka Wasa chief’s assurances, the government has little confidence in the city’s water supply and sewerage authorities, which is why it has transferred the maintenance job of the city’s drainage system to the two city corporations. In a meeting attended by all authorities concerned at the Dhaka North City Corporation office on July 16, Local Government and Rural Development Minister Khandkar Mosharraf Hossain said Dhaka Wasa had failed to properly take care of the 26 canals in and around Dhaka. These canals are a crucial part of the city’s drainage system, so the city corporations have been given the responsibility of recovering them from grabbers, the minister said at the meeting.