Pure drinking water
Pragmatic government
efforts together with private initiative can solve the problem of safe drinking water
It is good to know that general people will have free access to clean drinking water in targeted areas of the city. According to a report in this newspaper yesterday, Footsteps, an NGO, has taken up the project named Trishna and will offer clean drinking water by setting up water filters. Shortage of safe drinking water is a global reality and Bangladesh is no exception. It is the democratic right of every citizen of the country to get safe drinking water. But the question arises, how many people are getting it?
The number of population is increasing in the country, particularly in Dhaka city. Being a mega-city with its burgeoning population, water consumption has also increased manifold in the city. Dearth of safe drinking water is jeopardizing the smooth living of many city-dwellers. About 88 percent of the slum-dwellers in the capital have no access to drinking water. Taking advantage of the acute crisis of safe drinking water, many companies are producing and selling bottled water and people are consuming the same. But all the companies selling water are not maintaining the quality. Consumption of spurious drinking water may cause various intestinal and other diseases. It is heartening that many of the companies producing sub-standard drinking water have been identified and punished.
The condition is more precarious in rural areas where many people are drinking contaminated water. Arsenic contamination had dealt 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. On the other hand, presence of bacteria in underground water poses a great risk of spreading intestinal diseases in many areas of the country.
It is gathered that 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 endangering public health. A long-term programme in coordination with the major NGOs of the country can solve the problem in phases. Besides, rainwater harvesting can greatly address the problem of safe drinking water.
Bangladesh is a climate-friendly country. The country experiences sufficient rain, particularly during monsoon. Rainwater can be collected and preserved by using modern technology. Pragmatic government efforts together with private initiative can solve the problem of safe drinking water.
