Water crisis hits Mirpur sec-10

They alleged that a vested quarter has created the crisis deliberately with a view to occupying a land of Bihari camp in the name of setting up a water pump.

The quarter under the banner of House Owners' Welfare Association is also collecting toll from the house owners in the area in the name of raising funds for the installation of water pump, they said, adding that about Tk 3.5 lakh has been collected so far.

"There is only one water tap in our camp for about 8,000 people. But the tap runs dry throughout the day. After midnight at about 1:00am, when water starts running from the tap, people in long queue also start scrambling for water. But many have to return without water as the supply lasts for only 15 or 20 minutes," said Md Momin, a resident of Muslim camp at Block-A, Mirpur sec-10.

Many residents like Abdus Shakur do not get enough water even for cooking.

Rahman, a resident of Shaheed Millat camp at Block-B, said his family has been collecting water from nearby restaurants, houses and an abandoned well in Muslim camp.

The water crisis has become acute in the last two months, forcing him to send some of his family members to relatives' houses in other parts of the city, he added.

Bangladeshi Bihari Rehabilitation Assembly (BBRA) President Kawser Pervez has filed a general diary with Pallabi Police Station on February 2 saying that a tension is prevailing among the inhabitants of Muslim camp, Madrasha camp and Shahid Millat camp as a vested quarter is trying to occupy a land of the Bihari camp in the name of setting up a water pump.

The residents alleged that local Ward Commissioner Kazi Ali Imam Asad and his associates are involved in the bid to evict the Biharis through installing a pump at Shahid Millat camp.

But the commissioner dismissed the allegations as false and baseless.

He also denied that his men are involved in toll collection. The house owners sometimes collect toll for welfare activities in their area, he added.

Commissioner Imam said there is water crisis in Block A, but he is trying to solve the problem as early as possible.

There is a water pump in Block-B, which is very old and the Wasa has already repaired it, he said, adding that a new water pump has been allocated for Block A.

He also said that the site for water pump has been changed. The pump will now be installed at lane No. 3 of Block A and Wasa officials have already visited that site, he added.

He hoped that the work will be completed in the next one month.

When contacted, an official of Dhaka Water and Sewerage Authority (Wasa) Zone-4 said there is production problem at the water pump at Block-B as the water level has been going down day by day.

A new water pump would be set up at Block A soon after the DCC allocates the land, he added.

To mitigate the suffering of the residents, Wasa has now been providing three tanks of water daily, he said.

Local people said if the water pump is set up in the middle of lane No. 5 and 6, all the residents of Block-A and B would get sufficient water.