99pc WASA water non-drinkable: Minister

Local government, rural development and cooperatives minister Md Tajul Islam on Thursday said that around 99 per cent water supplied by Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (WASA) is non-drinkable, but the amount is not meant for drinking, reports UNB.

The minister came up with the remarks after completing an inter-ministerial meeting at the Secretariat.

"I'm saying that 99 per cent water of WASA is non-drinkable. The 99 per cent water is used for other works including cleaning and bathing, not drinking. Only one per cent is used for drinking," he said.

The minister said that "In past 7-8 years I have never seen scarcity of water in my house in Dhaka. Apparently no dirt I found in the water. The quality of water has been raised comparatively."

"Our inspection found that water is clean at the source. Then from where the water gets polluted? Are we sure that water tanks in all the houses are kept hygienic?" he asked.

The matter of drinkable WASA water came into light as Dhaka WASA's managing director Taqsem A Khan slammed an independent report against its water supply recently and said that the water is "100 per cent drinkable."

The claim drew social flak, prompting a group of people from Jurain to take samples of water to his office offering him to drink lemonade made with the water.

The WASA boss, however, declined the offer of lemonade "made by someone else".