A REPORT in an English daily said bacterial contamination is found in almost 40 percent of tube-wells in a survey unveiled great risk of spreading intestinal diseases in many areas throughout the country. In an event titled ‘Efforts to Ensure Safe Water Through Water Quality Testing Services’, the matter came up for discussion at an NGO forum recently raising questions on the quality of drinking water from tube wells in all seven divisions of the country between 2005 and 2014. The question mainly arises examining the testing report of samples at high tech laboratories.
According to the news report, the prevalence of bacteria and manganese in drinking water poses a particular challenge to Bangladesh as almost 50 percent of the population would be concentrated in urban areas by 2030. The concentration of manganese is a big threat to mental development of children and maternal health, including reduced IQ level of children. The report further said almost 10 percent of maternal deaths in Bangladesh occurred due to waterborne disease Hepatitis E and experts opined that ensuring safe water, sanitation and proper hygienic condition could avert the situation. Installing safe water technology is not enough, they must be associated with other environmental supports. .
Safe drinking water is essential for survival and the Bangladesh government cannot ignore such an alarming finding so far remained out of focus. The breaking of the news came as an eye opener to many but the message must reach every doorstep to make people aware of the danger. The report said due to lack of nutrition, children already suffer from stunted growth and other diseases and if they only have access to contaminated water, the children will only grow up but remain unable to become productive and healthy to contribute to national economy. They would remain unhealthy add as a burden to the society, however due to no fault of their own.
The survey report thus puts an alarm signals to the government and non-government bodies, which work with the country’s public health sector. We all have the responsibility to create social awareness to the danger that may come from unsafe water, which may even end up life in disability and other diseases if proper attention is not taken at the grass roots level. So we suggest that water testing facilities may be set up at local level and trained manpower may regularly visit areas to test the quality of water and keep people informed of the quality of water that they are drinking. We can thus prevent many avoidable deaths.
