Cry for potable water in Cox's Bazar

OUR CORRESPONDENT

COX'S BAZAR, May 03: People here have been suffering a lot as there is an acute shortage of drinking water in Cox's Bazar. Ground water level is dropping by 10-15 feet every year.

Day by day the water level in Cox's Bazar is going down due to felling of trees, cutting of mountains, digging of canals, filling of ponds and reservoirs, excessive use of underground water, construction of unplanned structures and climate change. As a result, there is a shortage of drinking water.

The water level is going down in various unions of 9 upazilas including Cox's Bazar town. Especially the surrounding areas of Cox's Bazar city and Ukhia, Teknaf and Chakaria are very bad. Out of 31000 tube wells in the district, about 7000 have become useless. Water is not available in at least several thousand tube wells.

Similar crisis has occurred in the coastal plain, high low and hill towns. Suffering also increased in 34 Rohingya shelter camps of Ukhia-Teknaf.

There is drinking water problem in various areas of Eidgaon including Vaditla, Collegiate, Palakata, Nahumhal, Chauphaldandi, Pokkhali, Gomatli, Jalalabad, Islampur, Islamabad, Teknaf, Ukhia, Pekua, Chakaria, Maheshkhali, Ramu and Kutubdia.

Information from Cox's Bazar Municipality and Public Health Engineering Department said many tube wells have lying unused in different areas of Cox's Bazar town. Ground water level in Cox's Bazar is going down by 10 to 15 feet every year, he added.

Even 10 years ago, the ground water level was found to be between 120 and 150 feet at Tekpara in the town. At present, one has to go deeper than 300 to 500 feet for water. The ground water level in the Kalatali area of Cox's Bazar Sagarpar has dropped by 20 to 30 feet. As a result, many water pumps of more than three hundred residential hotels in Sagarpar have been lying unused.

Cox's Bazar Public Health Engineering Department Assistant Engineer Abul Manjur said the water crisis has been created due to excessive cutting of trees and hills, filling of rivers and canals, reservoirs and ponds, excessive use of water and construction of unplanned structures.

Besides, lack of adequate rainfall and extreme temperatures and climate change have resulted in water shortages in the region.

Manjur said the water supply of the Bakkhali river will be drained and made suitable for consumption by the residents of the city. The work of this project based on the priority of the government is almost at the final stage. It is expected that the work of this project will be completed in December.

Gafur Uddin Chowdhury, Chairman of Palangkhali UP of Ukhia, said water shortage has occurred since the beginning of summer. Water is not available from most of the tube wells. Tube wells are the only source of drinking water in the villages, he added. Due to non-availability of water in the tube wells, many people in the village have to go far to fetch a jug of potable water, he also said.