Bagerhat Correspondent

Due to climate change, there has been an acute shortage of drinking water in the coastal district of Bagerhat due to various reasons including decreasing groundwater levels, salinity, and increasing arsenic levels. With the changing times, various initiatives have been taken by the government to provide drinking water to the people by changing the type of project.

These include shallow tube wells, deep tube wells, PSFs, solar PSFs, and water supply activities by car. Meanwhile, to address the drinking water crisis, rainwater storage tanks with a capacity of 1,000 to 3,000 liters are currently being distributed in the district.

According to sources from the Bagerhat Public Health Engineering Department, 16,361 deep tube wells have been installed in the district since 1992.

Shallow tube wells were installed in 14,126. PSFs were installed in 2,799. Research has revealed that in order to address the drinking water crisis in the saline areas of the coastal district of Bagerhat, PSFs (Pond Sand Filters) were built on the banks of ponds by government and private initiatives. But due to lack of proper supervision, most of the PSFs have become useless. As a result, people in those areas are forced to drink pond water directly. As a result, stomach aches have become a daily companion of every family in these areas.

Meanwhile, water from this pond is being supplied to various villages in vans. Shivani Rani, who came to take water from Phulpukur in Rampal, said that this pond is the only hope for the people of this region.

They use water from this pond, which is about 1 kilometer away, for various purposes. It is very difficult. She appealed to the government to solve the water problem. Dr. Mizanur Rahman Dear of Daivajhati area of Morelganj said that the government PSFT installed in Daivajhati College pond has now broken and almost merged with the ground. Therefore, there is a huge water crisis. As a result, many people in this area often suffer from water-borne diseases. Environmentalist leader MA Sabur Rana of Rampal said that without proper survey, the PSF project taken by the government has come to a standstill. Except for a handful of yogurt, most of the PSFs and water treatment plants have been closed. Permanent supply of drinking water must be ensured.

In this regard, Jayanta Mallick, Executive Engineer of the Bagerhat Public Health Engineering Department, said, "After the government explained it, the locals took care of it. If they do not use it properly, it will be wasted. However, he claims that most of the PSFs are still operational.