Harvesting rainwater in a larger way and recharging aquifers adequately can help Bangladesh ensure safe drinking water to city dwellers as groundwater was depleting alarmingly due to excessive extraction, said eminent Japanese hydrologist Dr Jun Shimada.
He said, besides, the country will have to reduce dependence on groundwater and increase surface water use by cleaning the rivers and water bodies surrounding the capital.
Kumamoto University Graduate School of Science and Technology professor of Hydrology Dr Shimada, one of the top planners of Kumamoto City's world famous groundwater management system, said these while talking to the FE.
The Kumamoto City received 2013 edition of the 'Water for Life' Best Practices Award of UN-Water for its efforts in preserving groundwater resources.
"The important thing is monitoring water level and asking people to use surface water. That will help prevent depletion of groundwater level in the capital city," said Dr Shimada.
He said Dhaka is too far from the coastal areas. "If groundwater level can be kept higher than seawater, then those won't be able to seep and contaminate sweet water."
The professor said steps have to be taken for recharging aquifers of Dhaka and neighbouring areas by rainwater. To this end, adequate open areas have to be kept so that rainwater can directly fall on the land and recharge the aquifers.
For recharging groundwater it is necessary for the rain to percolate through the ground surface and to become groundwater. In the Kumamoto area 33 per cent of water is recharged through paddy fields, 52 per cent through dry fields and grasslands, and 15 per cent through mountainous areas.
"We use the groundwater for our daily life, agriculture, and industrial purposes. The groundwater creates the key component of the hydrological cycle incorporating human activities," Dr Shimada added.
In Kumamoto area the government introduced artificial groundwater recharge by using abandoned paddy fields. The administration collaborated with farmers to use the lands for rainwater harvesting before and after farming seasons. The lands are being used as ponds to preserve rainwater for recharging underground aquifers.
"The sustainable groundwater management done at Kumamoto area can be replicated in other Asian cities to get safe drinking water," he said.
Regarding safe drinking water shortage in Bangladesh's coastal areas because of excessive salinity, Dr Shimada said people have to preserve rainwater by digging big ponds for drinking when needed.
"The scenario in the coastal areas is totally different from that of Dhaka and other areas. When water in coastal ponds becomes contaminated by saline water during disasters, people will have to wait for natural refreshing of water as there is no other option to purify those," he said.
Dr Shimada emphasised for proper water engineering in other Asian countries to ensure safe drinking water for people. The Kumamoto University has been running an educational programme relating to the groundwater management during the last forty years.
"Once graduated from the specialised course they will become specialist on groundwater management, and we are expecting through those students to expand our experience to their own country on how to resolve their own problems relating to ground water," he said.
The university offers scholarship facilities for students of other countries to study groundwater management. Three Bangladeshi students are studying in the university on groundwater management under the fellowship.
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