UNB, Narayanganj :Stinky polluted waters of the rivers Shitalakhya and Buriganga hardly come to the use of the local residents.Though they regularly pay bills to WASA, they do not have access to the supply of clean water.With substandard water supply (and that too not regular), it is becoming impossible to use it for basic activities such as bathing or cleaning utensils.With no respite from the authorities, complaints are not being lodged as officers are usually absent from their desks, citing meetings in the capital. Lack of initiatives from Bangladesh Water Development Board is pushing both the rivers into a slow decay.Waters of these rivers emit foul stenches and they have become inept for traveling due to its rising thickness.It is alleged that WASA supplies water to nearby residents from these rivers, leading to diarrhea and other diseases.An official of Dhaka WASA camp office said that flow of industrial wastes from nearby RMG and dyeing factories is causing contamination of the waters. They are being fined on a regular basis, he added, but to no avail.According to sources, lack of an effluent treatment plant (ETP) is hindering the salvation of the rivers’ waters.Although water supply remains constant in the late hours of the night till dawn, it carries a stench and dark texture, which makes the water unusable.According to water expert Dr Ainun Nishat, 13 percent of WASA’s water supply comes from the rivers.The way it is collected from the Shitalakhya and Buriganga remains unpurified, he said.The purifying chemicals WASA use, he added, causes a strong smell to come from the water, which also irritates the eyes upon contact.But a WASA engineer brushing aside the allegations cited water pilferage as the cause of pollution of the water.He also cited the irregular cleanups of residential water tanks as another cause for polluted water, but admitted to the high use of chemicals in purifying the supply water.
