Rangamati Correspondent

Due to the drying up of the water source in the intense heat of summer and the impurity of the well water due to the mountain runoff due to the rainfall, there is an acute shortage of fresh water in the remote Dumdamya Union of Jurachhari upazila of Rangamati.

About 12,000 people of this union have suffered greatly. They are suffering from acute shortage of fresh water. Every year there is a shortage of drinking water in the end of summer and monsoon in this border union.

According to the sources, the upazila of Rangamati is surrounded by high and low mountains and Kaptai Lake. Among the four unions of the upazila, Dumdamya is a bordering and inaccessible union. It takes about three to four days to travel from the upazila headquarter to the union via the remote hilly road. Or you can go to Thegamukh on the border by boat through Barkal upazila in a little less time. About 12 thousand people live in this union of the upazila.

According to the information of Rangamati Directorate of Public Health and Engineering, they have managed to bring 66 percent of the people of the district under safe water, they have not yet reached 34 percent of the people with safe water.

Thousands of people in the remote hilly areas of Rangamati are facing severe shortage of fresh water. Due to living in hilly cluster villages, the people of these areas have to use the mountain springs and rainwater during monsoons. They have to do all the work starting from daily cooking depending on the water of this Jhiri Jharna.they drinks this water.

But when the heat of Falgun Chaitra starts, Jharna Jhiri dries up. When there is a shortage of fresh water, wells are dug in the ground. Water has to be collected from there along.As the mouths of these wells are always open, various wild animals of the mountains feed on them, the well water becomes contaminated and in many cases diarrhea outbreaks occur in different areas. Although tube wells have been installed in some areas, there is also no water supply during the dry season. And when the summer heat increases, the water in these wells also dries up.

Locals of this region say that there was no such water shortage in the past. There were more plants then. There was water in Jhiri Jharna. At present Jhiri Jharna is being destroyed due to free felling of trees, cutting of mountains, unfair quarrying of stones. Now the water is not accumulating. The population is increasing day by day. It has a serious impact on the people living in the mountains. Fresh water shortage is intensifying.

Rupana Chakma, Sapchari Union of Rangamati Sadar Upazila, said that she collects her food and usable water from the well during the dry season and it takes about 15-20 minutes to reach the well from her house. And they rely on rain water in monsoon.

This water crisis is not only in Dumdumya of Jurachari or Dheppachari, Naraichari, joint farm area of Sapchari Yuin of Rangamati Sadar. It is the daily picture of various hill villages of Jurachhari, Bilaichhari, Barkal, Kaptai, Baghaichhari, Longadu and Rangamati Sadar upazilas of Rangamati.

According to the sources of Public Health Engineering Directorate of Rangamati, 66 percent people of Rangamati have come under safe water. However, since 2011, no survey has been conducted to determine the percentage of people who have access to clean water in Rangamati. However, the organization claims that they are working to deliver clean water to all the people of the district.

It is taking some time as there is no electricity in various hilly areas and deep tubewells have not been installed. They are providing clean water supply to villages through GFS project by purifying spring water, setting up tube wells for every 10 households where possible, setting up solar pumps through solar panels where there is no electricity, providing water through this.

Subrata Barua, Assistant Engineer (headquarters) of Rangamati Public Health Engineering Directorate, said in many areas in Rangamati, we are unable to install Deep tubewell as the hill formation is made stones.Many places do not have electricity. Due to which it is not possible for us to reach clean or safe water to all people.

We are working towards the goal of providing clean water to 100% people. For that we have undertaken several projects including GFS, supply of pure water through solar pumps, installation of tube wells in community areas.

Besides, the benefits of these projects have also started coming.