Synopsis
On April 13, 2023, Dhaka (NationPress) reported a grave water crisis in Bangladesh, impacting tens of thousands and denying them access to safe drinking water, raising public health concerns and threatening agriculture.Key Takeaways
- Critical water crisis affecting Bangladesh.
- Tens of thousands lack access to clean drinking water.
- Over 167,000 tube wells have run dry.
- Public health risks due to contaminated water.
- Immediate rainfall is the proposed solution.
Dhaka, April 13 (NationPress) A critical water crisis has affected several regions of Bangladesh, leaving a significant number of inhabitants without access to clean drinking water.
This situation poses severe public health challenges and jeopardizes agricultural production in the Feni district of this South Asian nation. Reports indicate that over 167,000 tube wells in the coastal district have run dry.
The Feni District Public Health Engineering Department (DPHED) noted that water is unavailable in 167,386 tube wells due to a significant drop in the underground water level. The crisis has intensified in numerous upazilas of the district, where nearly 70 percent of tube wells are no longer producing water, according to leading Bangladeshi media outlet, UNB.
As a result of the crisis, residents are compelled to use contaminated water from ponds and ditches, leading to outbreaks of diarrhoea and other waterborne illnesses.
"There is no water available in tube wells, ponds, or canals. The only solution is rainfall," stated the Executive Engineer of the health department, Md Shafiul Haque.
Additionally, reports have indicated that 9,871 tube wells out of the registered 36,811 have been non-functional for an extended period.
Almost half of the remaining tube wells are dry, and approximately 50 percent of the two lakh shallow tube wells privately installed are not yielding safe water.
The Fulgazi Upazila of the district presents a particularly grim scenario amid the ongoing water crisis. Kulsum Akter Sharifa, a resident of Sharifpur village's Kazi Bari, mentioned that five out of eleven families possess deep tube wells, but there is still no access to safe water.
"We are enduring significant hardship trying to gather water for drinking and cooking. We have to travel long distances to obtain it," the resident expressed.
Another villager noted that none of the thirty-five deep tube wells in their community are operational. "This is the reality in nearly every ward of our union. We lack safe water," he added.
Last month, a report from The Daily Star highlighted that Bangladesh is experiencing a worsening water crisis, with the fight for safe drinking water becoming increasingly challenging in various districts, both in urban areas and rural settings.
