Cox's Bazar town dogged by drinking water dearth

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FE Team | Published: May 03, 2026 22:08:58

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OUR CORRESPONDENT
COX'S BAZAR, May 03: An escalating scarcity of drinking water is putting a severe strain on the residents of Cox's Bazar town.
From households to hotels, restaurants, and business establishments, the demand for purified and bottled water has increased significantly.
Rapid depletion of groundwater, rising salinity, and iron contamination have made this crisis a major challenge in the daily lives of the townspeople.
According to the Department of Public Health Engineering (DPHE), groundwater level in Cox's Bazar municipality area is declining by an average of 6 to 14 feet every year.
In densely-populated areas such as Kolatoli and Tekpara, fresh water is now being found at depths of 90 to 110 feet, whereas a decade ago it was available at much shallower levels.
Residents complain that the water used in households is also posing health risks.
Abdul Mannan, a resident of Baharchhara, said, "We have to buy drinking water. If we use the water at home, it causes itching and allergic problems. I have changed houses three times in the last two years."
A similar complaint was made by Abdul Aziz from Nuniachhara. He said, "Only saline water comes out from the tube-well. No matter how deep we go, we still get salty water."
Not only residential areas, but the tourism-dependent hotel and motel zones are also facing severe
shortages.
As a result, numerous water treatment plants and water supply centers have been set up across the town.
According to a related business operator, purified water worth several lakh taka is supplied daily to hotel areas alone. During the tourist season, this demand increases four to five times.
Initiatives are also being taken to address the crisis. A surface water treatment plant under construction on the banks of the Bakkhali River is nearing completion.
Once operational, it will be able to meet approximately 55 to 60 per cent of the municipal water demand. The plant will have the capacity to treat around 1.0 million liters of water per hour.
In addition, a 700,000-liter capacity overhead reservoir constructed at Sugandha Point is planned to supply water to around 300 hotels, which is expected to bring some relief to the tourism zone. Experts say that unregulated installation of deep tube-wells, unplanned urbanisation, expansion of the tourism industry, and increased water demand in nearby Rohingya camps have collectively created immense pressure on groundwater resources.
Without immediate steps such as rainwater harvesting, increased use of surface water, and groundwater recharge systems, the situation may become even more severe in the future.
Assistant Engineer Rubel Barua of the municipality said that 14-15 years ago, water could be found at depths of 150 to 200 feet in pump houses. But now, in many areas, even at depths of 1,200 to 1,500 feet, it is difficult to obtain quality water. Even when available, it is often salty and foul-smelling.
Executive Engineer Mohammad Nasrullah of DPHE Cox's Bazar said that water from the Bakkhali River will be treated and supplied to municipal residents. He expressed hope that people will start receiving the benefits of this project within the current year.
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