Wasa to dispense drinkable water

The Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (Wasa) is going to provide pure drinking water at a nominal price through two vending machines to be set up on a pilot basis at water pumps in Mirpur and Fakirapool.

"...if it is successful, we may set up more...(for) people, who do not have access to piped water," Dhaka Wasa Managing Director Taqsem A Khan told a workshop as the chief guest in the capital's The Daily Star Centre yesterday.

Capable of providing up to 3,600 litres per day, the machine accepts Tk 5 coins to dispense 20 litres of water each time after filtering it in nine stages.

Dushtha Shasthya Kendra (DSK), an NGO, set up two in Mohakhali's Korail and Sattola slums in August last year with Oxfam's assistance. The workshop, "Wash Innovation: Water Vending System", was organised jointly by DSK and Oxfam.

Taqsem said they have support for the DSK project, which was ensuring drinking water to slum people.

He said Dhaka Wasa already brought around 55 to 60 percent of slum areas under the legal water pipeline network and aims to have full coverage by 2016.

Selina, a community-based organisation leader of Korail slum, said there were 694 legal Wasa lines in Korail slum and the machine has helped reduce water-borne diseases.

Boiled water is not available most of the time due to a shortage of gas burners, she added.

This technology can be installed in public places, hospitals, bus and railway stations, markets and schools, colleges and universities, said Ranajit Das, coordinator (PHP), Oxfam Bangladesh.

Masudul Quader of DSK chaired the workshop, while Snehal V Soneji, country director of Oxfam Bangladesh, was present as the special guest.

Milon Kanti Barua of Brac, Shrin Sultana of United Nations Children's Fund, Uttam Kumar Roy, commercial manager of Wasa, and Shirin Ara Begum also spoke.