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Ethnic villagers at Durgapur facing severe water scarcity

Published : Thursday, 9 May, 2024 at 12:00 AM  Count : 262
Sujadul Islam Farash
NETRAKONA, May 8: This summer hilly people in bordering Durgapur Upazila of the district are suffering acute drinking water scarcity.

To collect water for their daily drinking and household chores, the hilly village dwellers are using surface troubled and dirty water of hill waterfalls, locally known as Chhora.

At present, fierce heatwave is prevailing in the district; a hue and cry for water is in every house of the hilly villages.

Having 10-12 ethnic villages, Durgapur Sadar Union and Kullagorah Union of the total seven unions in Durgapur Upazila are two hilly areas along the border with India.  

These ethnic people are habituated to using polluted water of waterfall, channel or ponds for their cooking and bath-taking; they are getting exposed to different water-borne diseases such as  stomach nausea and skin disease.

A recent visit found true to life sufferings of people in several villages including Gopalpur in Durgapur Sadar Union, Bhabanipur, Fanda, Barmari, Bharatpur, and Gazikona; tube-wells in these hilly localities are failing to lift water, due to groundwater layers downing.

Most dwellers are in abject poverty; they are underprivileged; and they live on hand to mouth.

Few of them have installed submersible pumps at higher costs; but most of the people are not getting pure water.

For usable water,  the ethnic people are dependent on ring pumps and shallow wells; but in the dry season, these pumps can lift water; and they have to collect drinking water from far areas.

An ethnic woman Bubu Marak of Bharatpur Village said, "I have no tube-well; I have to suffer for drinking crisis for the whole year; we drink water of hilly waterfall or channel; I use this water in cooking also; and it is the same condition of all families."

A rural quack Regular Mankin said, "We are facing scarcity of pure drinking water; we dig well in Chhora to collect water; but as this water is not pure, water-borne diseases appear always. We demand to the government for arranging us pure drinking water."

Durgapur Sadar Union Chairman Sadekul Islam said, "It needs to remove stones up to about 400-500 foot deep to install deep tube-well in our villages; besides, it is very expensive; and it is not affordable for many people".

If deep ring pumps are installed, the water suffering of the hilly people will decrease a bit, he added.

Sub-Assistant Engineer of the public health department in the upazila Md Ashrafuzzaman said, "It can be possible to install deep tube-well in the hilly localities because of stones; we are trying all types of options in order to address the perennial water crisis; at present, we are working on a project for resolving the water crisis."

"We have already informed the authorities of this project. Once approved, the work will start," the official maintained.

Upazila Nirbahi Officer M Rakibul Hasan said, "We have a plan for addressing water crisis in the hilly villages; authorities are informed about the problem; we hope a solution soon."



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