Four out of 10 zones under Dhaka WASA contained notable levels of arsenic, ammonia, chlorine and bacteria, according to a government report filed with the High Cout.
The report was submitted to the Attorney General’s Office by the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development (LGED) on Thursday (Jul 4), following a court directive.
Samples collected from the four areas also found traces of E.coli (Escherichia coli), sources at the Attorney General’s Office said.
Most types of E.coli are harmless and even help keep the digestive tract healthy. However, some strains can cause severe diarrhea if consuming through contaminated food or water.
The report will be placed before the HC bench of Justice JBM Hassan and Justice Khairul Alam next Sunday.
On May 16, Dhaka WASA submitted a report, signed by its managing director, which said residents of 59 areas under 10 MODS zones have complained of receiving poor quality water from the state agency.
On May 21, after hearing a writ petition, a High Court bench directed the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development (LGRD) to test WASA water supplied to 34 areas in Dhaka.
It has also directed WASA to pay Tk 170,000 to a committee formed by the LGRD ministry for the testing.
The LGED ministry collected WASA water samples from 34 areas in 10 zones, including Sayedabad and Chadnighat, and had them tested at the laboratories of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, Dhaka University and International Centre for Diarrheal Disease Research, Bangladesh.