SATKHIRA, June 22: The only easy source of drinking water for the people of Gabura union of Shyamnagar in the coastal Satkhira is a pond called Drishtinandan, or spectacular in English. However, saltwater has coursed into it thanks to the impact of Cyclone Remal, sapping the source and leaving several villages in a severe crisis.
Its a situation where theres water everywhere you look, but not a drop to drink.
The crisis highlights a growing concern to communities across Bangladesh, particularly in the Southwest, where extreme weather exacerbated by climate change has emerged as a threat to safe drinking water.
At the end of May, Cyclone Remal wreaked havoc in many districts of the country, including the Sundarbans and adjacent areas. However, the most significant damage in the coastal areas of Satkhira was the salinisation of pond water.
GM Maksudul Alam, chairman of the Gabura Union, said 11 out of 15 villages are facing a severe drinking water crisis.
He said out of 42,000 people in the union, at least 36,000 are facing a drinking water crisis. Women from villages such as Chandanimukha, Dumuria, Kholshibunia, Hetalbunia, Chakbara, Sora and Parshemari have to walk long distances to collect drinking water.
Said-uz Zaman, chairman of Shyamnagar Upazila Parishad, said areas such as Durgabati and Golakhali in Shyamnagar are facing a severe water crisis. The tube wells in the area are not functioning due to the depletion of the freshwater table. People rely mainly on open water bodies for drinking and domestic water, but these have also become unfit for consumption due to the effects of Remal.
According to non-governmental organisations, nearly 700,000 people in the coastal river areas of Satkhira are currently suffering from a lack of drinking water.
A survey conducted by the United Nations Development Programme, or UNDP, in 2021 found that 73 percent of residents in the Ashashuni and Shyamnagar Upazilas or sub-districts drink unsafe saline water.
Another study by the Bangladesh Soil Resource Institute found that about 53 percent of coastal areas are directly affected by salinity.
Coastal residents of Satkhira, Bagerhat and Khulna have long suffered from a drinking water crisis. Although these areas have water bodies and deep wells, the water remains undrinkable due to geographical factors such as excessive arsenic, salinity, and iron. Residents are constantly struggling to obtain potable water.
Residents of Ashashuni and Shyamnagar say when temperatures rise, their water sources dry up, causing further hardship.
—bdnews24.com
