Safe drinking water: Policies insufficient without implementation, says US embassy official

Policies alone are insufficient to ensure safe drinking water to people without enforcement, said a US embassy official today.

There can be gaps between policies and enforcement but the extent of the gap is the main issue, as it will determine the quality of the water, he said.

He came up with the remarks at a background briefing to mark World Water Day at the American Centre in Dhaka.

World Water Day will be observed tomorrow.

To ensure safe drinking water, policies are not enough on their own as the role of the media and public awareness are also key, the official said.

The US embassy official showed examples of how lives were brought back to dead rivers in the US through proper policy and implementation.

The US government has been working in Bangladesh through various projects to ensure safe water for the people of Bangladesh for quite a long time, he said citing an example of Drinkwell Well, which provides safe water through ATM booths at around 300 locations in Dhaka.

The US government has taken up a project titled "US Global Water Strategy—2022-2027" through which 22 million people will get safe drinking water and the same number will access safe sanitation across the world. "Bangladesh will benefit immensely from this strategy."

The US government is extending support to the government, private sector, and civil societies with new technologies to ensure the supply of safe water in different parts of the country, especially the adversely affected and hard-to-reach areas.

He said that to reduce stress on groundwater, the US government is focusing on giving importance to rainwater harvesting.