Tk 75.61 lakh needed for testing Wasa water in 11 zones

Tk 75.61 lakh needed for testing Wasa water in 11 zones

Local Government and Rural Development (LGRD) ministry has said Tk 75.61 lakh is needed for collecting and examining 1,065 samples of water supplied by Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (Wasa) in 11 zones.

The ministry gave the estimated cost of Wasa water’s collection and examination in a report submitted to the attorney general’s office for placing it before the High Court.

Deputy Attorney General Motaher Hossain Sazu who received the report from the LGRD ministry told The Daily Star that he would submit the report before the High Court tomorrow.

The High Court will pass an order on this issue after receiving the report.

The ministry submitted the report as the High Court on May 13 asked the committee formed by the LGRD ministry to examine the quality of the Wasa water about the cost.

DAG Motaher said the LGRD ministry has prepared the report on information from the Dhaka Wasa. He however, did not say details about it.

The High Court on May 13 expressed dissatisfaction at the LGRD ministry for not complying with its order to examine the quality of water supplied by the Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (Wasa) through a committee.

“How much money does the committee formed by the LGRD ministry need to test 22 bottles of water?” the court questioned on that day.

Meanwhile, in an earlier reports given to the HC, it was mentioned that water supplied by Wasa is highly contaminated and unsafe in 16 areas of Dhaka.

The areas are Jurain, Daniya, Shaympur, Uttara Sector-4, Lalbagh, Rajar Deuri, Malibagh, Madartek, Banashree, Goran, Raysaheb Bazar, Mohammadpur Basila, Mirpur, Pallabi, Kazipara and Sadarghat, he said.

Dhaka Wasa stated in the report that it would examine the water at the laboratories of DU, BUET and icddr,b after acquiring necessary funds.

mj/