Trade of contaminated water puts public health at risk

Without purifying, water in plastic jars are being sold to different offices, commercial organisations, hotels and even households in Kushtia town, putting public health at risks. Several water supply companies have been doing the business for long in the town without taking any permission from health department or Bangladesh Standard and Testing Institute (BSTI), reports our correspondent. Meena Rani Shaha, owner of Life Safe Water Company in the town, said her company had been doing the business of supplying water for six years without any laboratory and BSTI license. Though Masudur Rahman of Merin A One Water Company said they had the permission of BSTI, failed to show the papers. “The papers are with the BSTI officials,” he said. When our correspondent contacted Hasibul Haque, a BSTI official, over phone about it he said “We cannot give you any official information without prior permission. You will have to apply to get the information or come to our office to talk about it.” Two other companies named Green Life Water in Dhopapara area and Milian Pure Drinking Water Company in Rab lane, which were fined Tk20 thousand each by a mobile court last year, are still running their businesses without any BSTI permission. However, the authorities of the companies alleged that some BSTI officials take money from them on the assurance of providing them with necessary papers. The consumers, who drink the unpurified water supplied in plastic jars, said finding no other alternatives they were taking the water. Mohir Uddin, owner of Ruhul Bekary and Confectionary, said water of all the tube wells in the town was undrinkable due to excessive iron. That was why they had to drink the jar water, he added. Businessman Al Amin of the town said they had to buy the water at TK50 per jar, as there was no water supply facility in the town. Waliul Islam Azim, a service holder of Mangalbaria area, said as there was no water supply facility there, they were bound to purchase water for bathing, cooking and other purposes. Dr Nazmul Islam, civil surgeon of Kushtia, said drinking unsafe water could cause different water-borne diseases such as typhoid, dysentery, jaundice and diarrhea. Additional District Magistrate Mohammad Habibur Rahman   said if they got any complain of manufacturing and supplying water without legal permission, they would take necessary steps.

Posted by admin on Nov 8 2016. Filed under Bangladesh Exclusive. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry