The High Court today ordered the authorities concerned to immediately check the quality of water sold and supplied through plastic bottles, jars and other manners across the country.
Bangladesh Standard Testing Institute (BSTI) along with the law enforcement agencies have been asked to examine the water and to submit the test reports to the HC in 15 days.In response to a writ petition, the HC asked the respondents to take necessary steps to stop supply and selling of water through unauthorised bottles, jars and other means.
The court also issued a rule asking them to explain why they should not be directed to ensure the supply of pure drinking water through authorised means and why their failure to this effect should not be declared illegal.The HC bench of Justice Sheikh Hassan Arif and Justice Razik-Al Jalil came up with the order and rule following a writ petition filed by Supreme Court lawyer Shammi Akhter seeking necessary order on the respondents.
Secretaries to the ministries of food and health, director general of the Department of Health Services, director general of BSTI, inspector general of police, director general of Rapid Action Battalion and managing director of Wasa have been made respondents to the rule, petitioners’ lawyer Advocate Md JR Khan Robin told The Daily Star.
Citing from the petition, Advocate Robin told The Daily Star that a total of 287 factories are authorised for producing plastic bottles, jars and other manners for selling and supplying pure drinking water across the country.But, more than 3,000 factories are producing such products and supplying unsafe water which may cause harm to the people’s health, he added.
source: The Daily Star
