Gas worth Tk 3.32b burnt a year to make WASA water drinkable: TIB

Dhaka dwellers have to burn natural gas worth Tk 3.32 billion every year for making water supplied by WASA drinkable, according to a Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) study, reports UNB.

During a survey, 93 per cent consumers reported that they made the supply water drinkable in various ways, of which 91 per cent reported that they boil before using for drinking.

It has been estimated that for the purpose of making the water drinkable by boiling has an implication of burning natural gas amounting 365,7,37,008 cubic metre, which costs approximately Tk 3.32 billion every year, said the study .

The study titled 'Dhaka WASA: Governance Challenges and Way forward' was published on Wednesday at a press conference held at MIDAS centre in Dhanmondi.

This study covers water and sewerage services provided to residential, commercial, industrial and Low Income Communities (LICs) i.e. slum areas in 10 among 11 MODS zone of Dhaka WASA.

The study also includes sewerage and drainage system, water logging situation and role of Dhaka City Corporations (South and North) which was conducted between April 2018 and March 2019.

The survey data showed that 51.5 per cent service recipients of Dhaka WASA reported that the water supplied by WASA was dirty.

Again, 41.4 per cent service recipients reported that the water they got through supply line contained bad smell while 34.5 per cent service recipients informed that they faced getting bad quality water all the year round.

The service recipients also reported the season wise experience of getting supply of bad quality water, which is 62.1 per cent in summer, 59.6 per cent in rainy season and 7.5 per cent in winter.

According to the survey, 24.6 per cent consumers from residential and slum connections were affected by water borne diseases such as diarrhoea , jaundice, skin diseases , dysentery , typhoid , cholera and other water borne diseases.

Survey findings also showed that 26.9 per cent service recipients contacted Dhaka WASA between July 2017 and June 2018, for water or sewerage related services and 61.9 per cent them were victims of irregularities, harassment and corruption.

The service recipients reported that they have dissatisfaction over the services provided by Dhaka WASA due to poor quality of services as well as corruption and irregularities.

The survey findings revealed that overall more than one third of service recipients are dissatisfied. However, the rate of satisfaction over quality of water and sewerage system is quite dissatisfactory.

Based on the findings of this study, Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) proposed 13-point recommendation to develop WASA as a more effective and service-oriented institution.