Thirst in the land of plenty

North Bengal was once the proud granary of Bangladesh, but today it fights a silent battle for its very existence. Vast fields are there, but the water that breathes life into them has vanished. Beneath the surface, the water table is sinking to unreachable depths. Even deep tube-wells now struggle to pull a single drop from the parched earth. Where mighty rivers once flowed, sand now rises from cracked riverbeds. This is no longer a seasonal hardship; it is a full-scale humanitarian crisis.

The tragedy is born from a mix of climate change and human mismanagement. Our seasons have lost their rhythm, with erratic rains failing to recharge the underground aquifers. The Teesta has been reduced to a narrow, dying canal. Without a fair share of water from trans-boundary rivers, the region remains trapped in a permanent drought. Furthermore, our heavy reliance on Boro rice has drained the land. Growing a single kilogram of rice requires thousands of liters of water, and this constant pumping has pushed our water levels down by hundreds of feet.

The human cost is staggering. In rural villages, women have to walk miles every day just to find a pitcher of drinking water. Skin diseases and waterborne illnesses are spreading as clean water became a luxury. Experts warn that the North is witnessing the early signs of desertification. If this trend continues, this fertile region may become uninhabitable within decades. This is a warning that nature is reaching its breaking point.

To save the North, we need a fundamental shift in how we farm and live. The government must provide incentives for farmers to switch from rice to crops like maize, wheat, and pulses, which require far less water. We must also prioritise the scientific dredging of our rivers and the creation of large-scale reservoirs to catch and store the monsoon rains. If the North remains thirsty, the entire nation's food security will collapse.

Ibrahim Khalil (Shobuj)

Patuakhali Science and Technology University