M.A. Jabbar :
It deserves due attention and consideration when experts warn that natural resources of fresh water, especially rivers, are becoming poisonous with industrial effluents and human waste, causing serious hazards to public health and ecological system. Rainwater, the purest form of natural water is insensitively wasted by letting it run off and merge with polluted rivers in the absence of a harvesting system. Of the 80,000 tonnes of human waste generated a day, at best 2 percent (1500 tones) is treated at Pagla treatment plant near the capital and the rest eventually end up in the rivers. Most industries in and around the capital release their untreated effluents directly into the Buriganga, Shitalakhya, Balu and Turag rivers thus pollute the rivers.
Professor Mujibur Rahman of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) said river water is turning unsafe for drinking because of rampant release of untreated human waste and industrial effluents that contain heavy metals like chromium, cadmium, lead, mercury and toxic chemicals. More than 300 rivers in Bangladesh are polluted the same way. Pollution makes river waters unsuitable for agriculture, fishing, household chores and bathing and also ruins the riverine ecological system and biodiversity. Prof.Dr.Mohammad Ali who has carried out the first liver transplant in the country said excessive accumulation of heavy metals through regular consumption of contaminated food and water might damage brain, liver, kidney and nerve. Contaminated water causes deadly hepatitis A and E and typhoid and eventually leads to liver failure, particularly in children and pregnant women.
More than 7000 children under five, die from diarrhoea while waterborne diseases cause nearly a quarter of total deaths annually in the country according to the findings of Water Aid Bangladesh.
Bangladesh, despite the world’s largest delta with an estimated 1210 billion cubic meters of fresh water resources, depends mostly on groundwater for drinking and dry season irrigation. According to experts, this is due to lack of sustainable water-usage plan.
About 98 percent of drinking water and 80 percent of dry season irrigation water comes from the reserve of 21 billion cubic meters groundwater Anwar Zahid, deputy director of Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) disclosed the fact at a press conference recently. The conference warned of the increasing dependency on groundwater and focused on unplanned use of water resources of the country criss-crossed by about 700 rivers and tributaries.
Pollution of surface water in the cities and industrial zones is the main of dependency on groundwater. Even fields located near rivers are often irrigated using groundwater rather than river water which are not polluted. It is easier to set up a tube well rather than installing pipes across fields. The pipes have to be removed during rainy seasons when they get inundated by flood-water.
Over extraction of groundwater and its consequences: The over extraction of groundwater would lower its level and create increased salinity in coastal areas. When the groundwater level goes below the sea level, saline water flows inwards during tidal surge in river. This a great concern for the nation. Experts say that human body can last weeks without food, but only days without water. Human body is on average made of 50-65 percent water and newborn babies have 78 percent water.
According to the news-report, in Dhaka the groundwater level is going down by 1 to 3 meter every year. In the 70’s WASA used to install tube well at 350-450 feet below surface but now it requires 500-1000 feet. Cost of installation has gone up. Besides the properties of the aquifer, the soil that holds the water is also being damaged. The soil might become compact and its capacity to hold water in future might be lost. Many recent studies also shows that fluctuation in groundwater level during dry and wet seasons is a factor of arsenic contamination of water.
Dependency on ground level water to be minimized. Pollution-free surface water to be ensured. Although there are as many as 17 water related laws in the country, but the main weakness is implementation of the same. Experts suggested for adoption and implementation of policies and strategies to ensure food security, healthy society and safe water supply. Ministry of health may work with the ministries of agriculture, industries, energy and environment with due coordination to develop healthy public policies and programmes and implement them to ensure that fresh water in adequate quantity and quality is available to all at all time. Sustainable water-usage plan to be formulated and implemented with due importance. Environment factors may be considered by the industrialists with patriotism, Public awareness is important, harvesting system is necessary and environment laws and regulations to be enforced with earnest order to combat the situation.
However, World Water Day was observed in Bangladesh on 22 March like elsewhere of the world with a theme of the day “Water and sustainable development.” The theme on the occasion of the day is timely and appropriate reflecting the role of water in life contributing to health and hygiene, food, industry, ecosystems and energy.
It deserves due attention and consideration when experts warn that natural resources of fresh water, especially rivers, are becoming poisonous with industrial effluents and human waste, causing serious hazards to public health and ecological system. Rainwater, the purest form of natural water is insensitively wasted by letting it run off and merge with polluted rivers in the absence of a harvesting system. Of the 80,000 tonnes of human waste generated a day, at best 2 percent (1500 tones) is treated at Pagla treatment plant near the capital and the rest eventually end up in the rivers. Most industries in and around the capital release their untreated effluents directly into the Buriganga, Shitalakhya, Balu and Turag rivers thus pollute the rivers.
Professor Mujibur Rahman of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) said river water is turning unsafe for drinking because of rampant release of untreated human waste and industrial effluents that contain heavy metals like chromium, cadmium, lead, mercury and toxic chemicals. More than 300 rivers in Bangladesh are polluted the same way. Pollution makes river waters unsuitable for agriculture, fishing, household chores and bathing and also ruins the riverine ecological system and biodiversity. Prof.Dr.Mohammad Ali who has carried out the first liver transplant in the country said excessive accumulation of heavy metals through regular consumption of contaminated food and water might damage brain, liver, kidney and nerve. Contaminated water causes deadly hepatitis A and E and typhoid and eventually leads to liver failure, particularly in children and pregnant women.
More than 7000 children under five, die from diarrhoea while waterborne diseases cause nearly a quarter of total deaths annually in the country according to the findings of Water Aid Bangladesh.
Bangladesh, despite the world’s largest delta with an estimated 1210 billion cubic meters of fresh water resources, depends mostly on groundwater for drinking and dry season irrigation. According to experts, this is due to lack of sustainable water-usage plan.
About 98 percent of drinking water and 80 percent of dry season irrigation water comes from the reserve of 21 billion cubic meters groundwater Anwar Zahid, deputy director of Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) disclosed the fact at a press conference recently. The conference warned of the increasing dependency on groundwater and focused on unplanned use of water resources of the country criss-crossed by about 700 rivers and tributaries.
Pollution of surface water in the cities and industrial zones is the main of dependency on groundwater. Even fields located near rivers are often irrigated using groundwater rather than river water which are not polluted. It is easier to set up a tube well rather than installing pipes across fields. The pipes have to be removed during rainy seasons when they get inundated by flood-water.
Over extraction of groundwater and its consequences: The over extraction of groundwater would lower its level and create increased salinity in coastal areas. When the groundwater level goes below the sea level, saline water flows inwards during tidal surge in river. This a great concern for the nation. Experts say that human body can last weeks without food, but only days without water. Human body is on average made of 50-65 percent water and newborn babies have 78 percent water.
According to the news-report, in Dhaka the groundwater level is going down by 1 to 3 meter every year. In the 70’s WASA used to install tube well at 350-450 feet below surface but now it requires 500-1000 feet. Cost of installation has gone up. Besides the properties of the aquifer, the soil that holds the water is also being damaged. The soil might become compact and its capacity to hold water in future might be lost. Many recent studies also shows that fluctuation in groundwater level during dry and wet seasons is a factor of arsenic contamination of water.
Dependency on ground level water to be minimized. Pollution-free surface water to be ensured. Although there are as many as 17 water related laws in the country, but the main weakness is implementation of the same. Experts suggested for adoption and implementation of policies and strategies to ensure food security, healthy society and safe water supply. Ministry of health may work with the ministries of agriculture, industries, energy and environment with due coordination to develop healthy public policies and programmes and implement them to ensure that fresh water in adequate quantity and quality is available to all at all time. Sustainable water-usage plan to be formulated and implemented with due importance. Environment factors may be considered by the industrialists with patriotism, Public awareness is important, harvesting system is necessary and environment laws and regulations to be enforced with earnest order to combat the situation.
However, World Water Day was observed in Bangladesh on 22 March like elsewhere of the world with a theme of the day “Water and sustainable development.” The theme on the occasion of the day is timely and appropriate reflecting the role of water in life contributing to health and hygiene, food, industry, ecosystems and energy.
(M. A. Jabbar writes on health and environment issues and is Executive Secretary of ADHUNIK, national anti-tobacco organization of Bangladesh. )
