Staff Reporter :
The city residents have to drink Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority’s (WASA) supplied water whether boiled or not.
There is nothing to be worried regarding supply water of WASA. Even after purifying the extremely polluted water of the river Narayanganj, the smell of ammonia remains in it. That is why the water in some areas has this smell. So, the city dwellers have to boil the supplied water before drinking it.
Managing Director of Dhaka WASA Taqsem A Khan said it while addressing a dialogue organised by Dhaka Utility Reporters Association (DURA) at National Press Club, on Tuesday. He said that water of his residence in Naya Paltan also smells bad, yet the water is drinkable and the bad smell is not of concern. Citing the biggest challenge in Dhaka, Taqsem said, “The number of people in Dhaka on paper is 1.70 crore. But we serve two crore people. Contrarily many people say that the population of Dhaka city is now 2.30 crore. Sometimes we have to struggle to meet the demand when the floating people increased all on a sudden.”
The total demand of WASA’s supply water in Dhaka is between 210 crore and 250 crore liters.
“Our production capacity is 270 crore liters. So, there will be no water crisis anywhere in the holy month of Ramadan. Dhaka WASA is on the top among the Asian countries in water management,” Taqsem said.
“Ninety-five percent of water supplied by WASA is pure but water becomes contaminated in five to eight percent areas due to leaks in old pipelines. We repair those pipes just after getting complaints. When a part of a pipeline leaks, contaminated water enters,” he said.
He said water becomes contaminated in three ways – at the source, in supply line and in overhead tanks and water reservoirs of households.
“As we do not know which five percent water is contaminated, we suggest that everyone boil the supplied water before drinking,” Taqsem said.
