Amid the outbreak of diarrhoea in the city, the Managing Director of Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (WASA) Taqsem A Khan has urged the users to drink water after boiling it.
"Only 5.0 to 10 per cent of water lines have leakages. When we get any complaints we repair those. But the problem still remains. I myself got a foul smell in the water in my Naya Paltan residence. That's why we urge people to drink boiled water," he said.
The WASA boss was speaking at a function that discussed the demand of city dwellers and the capability of DWASA, organised by Dhaka Utility Reporters Association (DURA), at National Press Club, reports UNB.
He said the number of breached lines is not many. But when people see any digging going on roads they think it is the line of WASA that contaminates the water, claimed Taqsem.
Replying to a question, he said it is the responsibility of the utility to reach the water to the tank but it is not our responsibility to make it reach each line of the buildings. If there is any problem in WASA water we scrutinise it after collecting samples from three places. One is from the pump, the second is from the area from where we receive the complaint and the third one is from the pipeline of the respective houses.
Following the rise in diarrhoea patients in Dhaka, many people blamed the contaminated water of WASA behind the outbreak.
Taqsem said when diarrhoea outbreak is on the rise, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b) provided the address of ten areas where the number of diarrhoea patients was high.
"We collected water from these areas and sent them for lab testing. But we do not get any bacteria from the water samples."
Besides, DWASA used chlorine to destroy bacteria found in its water, he said.
Asked about the proposed hike in water tariff, Taqsem said "We have informed the higher authorities concerned about it and the government will make a decision on it."