Bangladesh

Barishal DoE Office: Water testing equipment out of order for 4 months

Photo: Titu Das/STAR

All the water testing equipment at the lone laboratory of the Department of Environment in Barishal division have been lying out of order for past four months.

As such, testing facilities for water samples from different areas across the division are currently suspended.

Health experts and environmental activists have raised concerns over public health in the region, especially regarding spread of water-borne diseases like typhoid, cholera, dysentery, diarrhoea, among others.

They demanded prompt steps to make the repair or replace the equipment to turn the laboratory operational.

According to DoE sources, the lab was set up in 2010 to conduct tests for determining dissolved oxygen levels, dissolved salts, and presence of bacteria, among others, using samples from different sources. This enabled DoE to identify water sources with possible contamination or other health risks.

While relocating the DoE divisional office in Nathullabad area of Barishal city in 2022, different water testing equipment of the lab were partially damaged. The testing facilities at the lab continued on a small scale till last August. Since then, all tests have been suspended for past four months, the sources added.

As such, DoE authorities have been unable to test the water samples of hotels, motels and restaurants, as well as water sources including rivers, canals and other waterbodies across the division.

"While about one crore people in six districts of Barishal division are at risk of drinking contaminated water, it is a matter of concern that the lone water testing laboratory is lying non-operational. We have repeatedly spoken to the DoE in this regard. However, they are yet to take any visible measures," said Lincoln Bayen, Barishal divisional coordinator of Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association.

Physician Dr Mizanur Rahman said water testing should be done regularly; otherwise public health will be at risk.

Contacted, Golam Kibria, senior chemist at the DoE Barishal divisional office, said steps are on the resolve the issue soon.

Muhammad Mujahidul Islam, director of DoE, Barishal division, said the issue of setting up of a lab was not under the scope of the project when the new building for the DoE office was built.

"The contractor or the Public Works Department handed over the building without setting up the lab. As a result, the lab equipment have not been installed yet. The problem has been reported to higher authorities to resolve it," he also said.  "Since the lab is not operational at present, water samples from industrial areas have been sent to Dhaka for testing four times in the last four months," he added.

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Barishal DoE Office: Water testing equipment out of order for 4 months

Photo: Titu Das/STAR

All the water testing equipment at the lone laboratory of the Department of Environment in Barishal division have been lying out of order for past four months.

As such, testing facilities for water samples from different areas across the division are currently suspended.

Health experts and environmental activists have raised concerns over public health in the region, especially regarding spread of water-borne diseases like typhoid, cholera, dysentery, diarrhoea, among others.

They demanded prompt steps to make the repair or replace the equipment to turn the laboratory operational.

According to DoE sources, the lab was set up in 2010 to conduct tests for determining dissolved oxygen levels, dissolved salts, and presence of bacteria, among others, using samples from different sources. This enabled DoE to identify water sources with possible contamination or other health risks.

While relocating the DoE divisional office in Nathullabad area of Barishal city in 2022, different water testing equipment of the lab were partially damaged. The testing facilities at the lab continued on a small scale till last August. Since then, all tests have been suspended for past four months, the sources added.

As such, DoE authorities have been unable to test the water samples of hotels, motels and restaurants, as well as water sources including rivers, canals and other waterbodies across the division.

"While about one crore people in six districts of Barishal division are at risk of drinking contaminated water, it is a matter of concern that the lone water testing laboratory is lying non-operational. We have repeatedly spoken to the DoE in this regard. However, they are yet to take any visible measures," said Lincoln Bayen, Barishal divisional coordinator of Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association.

Physician Dr Mizanur Rahman said water testing should be done regularly; otherwise public health will be at risk.

Contacted, Golam Kibria, senior chemist at the DoE Barishal divisional office, said steps are on the resolve the issue soon.

Muhammad Mujahidul Islam, director of DoE, Barishal division, said the issue of setting up of a lab was not under the scope of the project when the new building for the DoE office was built.

"The contractor or the Public Works Department handed over the building without setting up the lab. As a result, the lab equipment have not been installed yet. The problem has been reported to higher authorities to resolve it," he also said.  "Since the lab is not operational at present, water samples from industrial areas have been sent to Dhaka for testing four times in the last four months," he added.

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