Rohingya people collecting drinking water from a shallow tube-well in a camp — FE Photo COX'S BAZAR, Apr 20: The people of Cox's Bazar are hopefully going to get a permanent solution to the perennial crisis of safe drinking water as 11 projects have been taken to that effect.
The district has been battling against the water crisis for around one decade.
According to the Department of Public Health and Engineering (DPHE), Cox's Bazar, the underground water level of the city is going down at the rate of 10 to 11 feet every year.
Even 10 years ago, the water level in Tekpara was between 120 and 150 feet but now it is needed to go more than 300 feet deep for water.
In the past few years, the groundwater level has dropped by 10 to 15 feet in Kalatali area.
As a result, numerous water pumps of more than three hundred residential hotels in Cox's Bazar city have become useless.
The DPHE sources also mentioned that out of the 11 projects work of five has been completed so far while the rest six are under implementation.
A large number of people of the district will be able to enjoy the benefits of these projects once they are fully completed.
Experts attributed the water crisis emerging almost everywhere in Cox's Bazar to various reasons including unplanned urbanisation, impact of climate change, unplanned water extraction through shallow machine, filling of ponds, canals or reservoirs and hill cutting.
Faridul Alam Shahin, joint convener of Dhoritri Rokkhay Amora (Dhora) of Cox's Bazar, a civic platform for the environmental and climate justice, said, "Due to unplanned pumping of water by shallow machines and filling of ponds, canals and bills everywhere, there is a shortage of pure water in tube-wells. There is a shortage of safe water in many areas of the city, including Nunyarchara, Pahartali, Hangarpara and Tekpara. There is no water in most of the tube-wells."
He also said that even 10 years ago, water was available in a depth of 30-40 feet in Sadar's Linkrod and Jhelongja; now there is no water even at 100 feet.
As a result, many water pumps have become useless. Such problems are arising due to overuse of groundwater. If there is no rain ahead, the situation will deteriorate further.
Executive Engineer of DPHE, Cox's Bazar,Mostafizur Rahman said, "Due to various adverse impacts, water salinity is increasing at an alarming rate in the coastal district. Besides, the people of most of the upazilas of the district including Cox's Bazar municipal area are suffering for the shortage of safe water due to the fall in underground water level."
It is known that the underground water level is decreasing gradually in most of the 72 unions of nine upazilas including the city. Almost all tube-wells in the district have become useless. Salty and muddy water is rising from the tube-wells. Along with the locals, the suffering has increased in the Ukhia-Teknaf Rohingya refugee camp.
The DPHE executive engineer further said, "Especially the situation in Ukhia and Teknaf is dire. Due to the dense settlement of Rohingya people there, the water crisis is acute there."
According to the DPHE, they are working to implement a scheme to mitigate the shortage of pure drinking water by storing rainwater in coastal areas. Cox's Bazar Sadar, Maheshkhali, Kutubdia and Teknaf upazilas are under this project.
Through 988 catchments, clean water will be provided to 10,000 households in coastal areas by storing rainwater. About 40 per cent work of the project has already been completed.
Construction project of a reservoir with capacity of about 20 million (2 crore) liters at Palangkhali in Ukhia is nearing completion.
After completion of this project, clean water will be provided to around 0.1 million (one lakh) people every day. Already about 80 per cent work of this project has been completed.
Describing their project, Mr Rahman said, "The government has taken various initiatives to alleviate the water crisis. Rainwater is being used as an alternative to solve the water crisis. By conserving surface water or rainwater it will meet the demand for potable or clean water."
"Besides, through the creation of natural reservoirs, rainwater will be stored and Bankkhali River water will be purified and fresh water will be supplied to Cox's Bazar municipal area. The project is ongoing to eliminate the shortage of pure water in the district. Some of our projects have already been completed, the benefits of which are being enjoyed by the local community," he added.
About 80 per cent work of the water supply project has been completed in nine upazilas of the district with the assistance of the World Bank. Water supply work is going on through pipeline in 31 unions of Cox's Bazar district.
Apart from this, water is being supplied after the installation of 15km pipeline.
Water supply has been started after the installation of a total of 164 water plants under the environmentally friendly desalination project in all the upazilas of Cox's Bazar except Pekua.
Besides, installation work of 25 km pipeline has been completed in Bankkhali and Cox's Bazar municipal area under Bankkhali river underground water treatment plant project.
Around 90 per cent work of five overhead reservoirs has been completed under this project.
Once the entire work of this project is completed, one million (10 lakh) liters of water will be supplied to Cox's Bazar municipal area every day.
Engineer Mostafizur Rahman also said that several projects are ongoing under the Directorate of Public Health Engineering to solve the drinking water crisis in Cox's Bazar district.
He expressed optimism, saying, "If all these projects are implemented, it will be possible to meet the demand of pure drinking water for millions of people."
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