HC seeks reports on steps taken to purify WASA water

The High Court on Sunday asked Dhaka Water Supply & Sewerage Authority (DWASA) to submit a report about steps it has taken to purify contaminated water supplied to its four zones, reports UNB.

The HC bench of justice JBM Hassan and justice Khairul Alam passed the order after submitting some test reports of WASA water.

Deputy attorney general Motaher Hosain Sazu submitted the reports on behalf of the local government ministry.

According to the report submitted to the attorney general's office on 3 July, elements like arsenic, ammonia and bacteria were detected in the water of four zones out of 10 distribution zones of WASA.

Earlier on 21 May, the High Court issued an order to test WASA water samples from 34 locations in the capital.

Mohammad Tanvir Amed, a counsel of the writ petitioner, moved the court after on 11 October last year after a World Bank report said that over 7.5 crore people of Bangladesh drink unsafe water.

The report noted that 41 per cent water sources contain harmful bacteria and 13 per cent water contains arsenic. It said about 80 per cent water supplied through pipelines contains harmful bacteria.

In the following month, the High Court ordered the authorities concerned to form a committee to test Dhaka WASA water.

It asked the LGRD and cooperatives ministry to file a report within 15 May after fixing the expenditure required to test the water.