Safe water
According to a report of this newspaper on Monday, Local Government Division Secretary Abdul Malek while inaugurating the day-long Bijoy Mela at LGED headquarters in Dhaka recently said the government has embarked on a project to supply pure water through preserving rainwater after recovering 2,300 ponds of the countrys 61 district councils from illegal occupants.
This is good news for many people who often do not get safe water. But availability of safe water is one of the basic rights of a citizen. But how many people have access to safe water in the country? Safe drinking water crisis is a global phenomenon. For many, if the Third World War ever occurs, it would be over water.
Around 98 per cent readily available fresh water comes from groundwater globally but in Bangladesh arsenic, manganese, fluoride, etc. are found in groundwater that is jeopardizing public health. Bacterial contamination in underground water poses a great risk of spreading intestinal diseases in many areas of the country. Around 10 per cent of maternal deaths are occurring due to Hepatitis E in Bangladesh. Arsenic menace had inflicted a severe blow to the safe drinking water in the country in the recent past. Scores of people bore the brunt of the menace in different parts of the country. The government made efforts to fight arsenic menace with little success.
There has been a great pressure on the groundwater in the country over the past few years. Spurt in the construction of high rise buildings in an unplanned way in recent times is taking its toll on the groundwater. Further pressure on the groundwater will undo the entire system. In the circumstances, surface water can be utilized with greater efficacy to ease the problem. Rainwater harvesting can greatly address the problem of safe drinking water in the country. Bangladesh is a climate-friendly country and it experiences sufficient rain, particularly during monsoon. Rainwater can be collected and preserved by using modern technology. Various countries of the world like India, the UK, Sri Lanka, South Africa and Israel have become successful in rainwater harvesting.
It is encouraging to note that collecting safe water from rainwater harvesting ponds established by LGED in collaboration with Danida in the recent past has been proved to be effective at various places of the country. Scores of people have been benefited from these. Sustained government efforts together with private initiative can solve the problem of safe water. Generation of mass awareness can also help a lot in this regard.
