Underground water level falls drastically in Sylhet region

SYLHET, June 12: Many tube wells have become inoperative as underground water level in Sylhet region has been getting down.
People suffer much for water as they cannot sink tube wells in the hilly areas of some upazilas like Jaintapur, Gowainghat and Kanaighat in Sylhet region. Besides, the Sylhet City Corporation (SCC) is unable to supply the required water to city dwellers for various reasons.
The SCC is in much trouble in supplying water to their 17,000 subscribers in the old 27 wards of the city and 15 new wards with 50,000 dwelling houses. The new wards are yet to be included in the city's water supply programme.
Officials said the water treatment plant in the Kushigaht area supplies only 18 million litres (180,00000) although it is supposed to supply 28 million (28000,000) litres daily. The age-old small unit in the city's Topkhana area has been abandoned. Environment activists said alongside planting trees, steps should be taken to stop indiscriminate filling of water bodies including ponds.
Contacted, BELA's Regional Coordinator Shah Shaheda Akhtar said filling of ponds and other water bodies is on by the influential quarters as there is none to check those. Only 36 ponds are there in the city now whereas it was over 100 decades ago. Contacted, SCC's Superintending Engineer Ali Akbar told this correspondent that from the Kushighat treatment plant and 41 deep tube wells we are supplying about 40 million litres of water daily.
Public Health Engineering (PHE) officials said they had sunk some submersible pumps in many areas in Sylhet Sadar, Dakshin Surma and other upazilas where the groundwater level has been falling down. Due to rocky soil, sinking tube wells is impossible in some hilly upazilas like Jaintapur and Kanaighat upazilas.

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