Making Safe Water a Right, Not a Luxury

We warmly welcome Dhaka WASA’s initiative to provide affordable, safe drinking water to more than 1.8 million people living in the capital’s slums through a network of water ATM booths. Coupled with the Prime Minister’s directive and working with UNICEF to develop an innovative and sustainable delivery system, the authorities concern have taken a commendable step towards addressing one of the most persistent inequalities in our urban landscape.

However, access to clean water is not a privilege; it is a fundamental human right. 

For too long, millions of Dhaka slum dwellers have been noticeably compelled to rely on unsafe or irregular water sources. Many families yet continue to pay disproportionately high prices to private suppliers for water of questionable quality, while others depend on shared connections that are vulnerable to contamination. 

Not to mention, consequences are devastating. Waterborne diseases continue to claim lives, burden healthcare facilities and undermine the health and productivity of some of the country's most vulnerable citizens. Thus, ensuring access to treated drinking water is therefore not merely a welfare measure, rather a sound investment in public health, economic development and social justice.

Water ATM booths, if managed efficiently and priced affordably, could offer a practical and transparent solution that guarantees reliable access to safe drinking water. However, the programme’s success will ultimately depend on effective implementation. Our water authorities must ensure that the pricing structure remains genuinely affordable, the supply is uninterrupted, and the quality of water is monitored regularly through rigorous testing. Moreover, community participation should also be encouraged, so that local residents have a stake in protecting and maintaining these facilities.

Concurrently, this initiative should not remain confined to Dhaka. Rapid urbanisation has transformed cities such as Chattogram, Khulna, Rajshahi, Sylhet, Gazipur and Narayanganj - all these cities have expanding informal settlements facing similar challenges. That said - a successful and exemplary model in the capital should become the blueprint for a nationwide urban water strategy that guarantees safe drinking water for every low-income community. A wider expansion would demonstrate that development is meaningful only when it reaches those who need it most.

We expect the programme to be from middlemen, misuse and unnecessary bureaucratic red-tapes. Slum residents should not face discrimination or hidden costs in accessing this essential service. Moreover, the initiative must be made accountable and transparent, so as to earn public confidence.

In conclusion, a nation is judged not by prosperity of its wealthiest neighbourhoods, but by the dignity it affords its poorest citizens. By making safe drinking water accessible to millions who have long been neglected, the new government now has an opportunity to demonstrate compassionate and inclusive governance. 

We expect this promising initiative to mark the beginning of a broader national commitment ensuring that no citizen, irrespective of class, creed or income, is denied the basic right to safe and affordable drinking water.