Combating sale of unsafe drinking water
The sellers
of low quality water should be brought under vigilance net
in the interest of
public health
It is worrying to note that producing and bottling mineral water in unhygienic condition has turned into a booming business across Khulna division. According to a report in this newspaper on Wednesday, 16 business entities have been operating fraudulent water treatment and filtration plants throughout the division without having license from the Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI). Some criminals masquerading as traders are doing this illegal business exposing the consumers to health hazards.
Dearth of safe drinking water is a global reality and our country is no exception. With the rapid population growth in the country water consumption has also increased manifold in the city. In the absence of safe drinking water smooth living of many city-dwellers is being disrupted. 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 the quality of water being produced by these companies is sharply questioned.
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.
In fact, people are hostage in the hands of the dishonest traders who are thriving cashing in on the helplessness of the former. Thousands of people are taking the water not knowing what a danger they are inviting for themselves. It is surprising to note that how this malpractice is going on under the nose of the law enforcement agency personnel. The members of the law enforcement agencies conduct drives once in a blue moon. After that things go back to the square one.
Selling of substandard food items is nothing new in this country. Successive governments have failed to check this menace. It is high for the members of the law enforcement agencies to spring into action and rein in the dishonest traders. Round the clock vigilance against this gross malpractice is needed. A long-term programme in coordination with the major NGOs of the country can solve the problem. The sellers of the low quality drinking water should also be brought under the vigilance net in the interest of public health. Awareness should also be created against consumption of unsafe water. There should be no compromise where public healthis concerned.
