No water in tube well in Dumki, public life in misery
Zakir Hossain Howlader,
Dumki (Patuakhali)
The common people of Dumki Upazila of Patuakhali district have been suffering from a severe water crisis during the dry season for two long years.
Normal water extraction is being disrupted in 4 out of 5 unions in the upazila due to the drop in water levels in deep hand-operated tube wells.
As a result, thousands of families have suffered greatly for drinking, cooking and daily use water. A visit to the ground revealed that in some villages including Algi in Pangasiya Union, Lebukhali and Uttaranchal in Lebukhali Union, Paschim Angaria and Paschim areas in Angaria Union, and Dumki, Serampur and Uttar Dumki areas adjacent to Patuakhali Science and Technology University in Serampur Union, water does not rise in hand-operated deep tube wells during the dry season. When the locals complained to the Upazila Public Health Engineering Department, the authorities inspected the area and confirmed that the water level had dropped.
Victim Md. Shahjahan said that during the dry season, the canals in the area almost completely dry up. In addition, the Pirtala Jamla and Angaria canals adjacent to Patuakhali Science and Technology University have been filled with garbage and garbage, stopping the flow of water. As a result, the canal water has become unusable, and the public is also being deprived of alternative water sources.
He expressed concern that due to the lack of clean water, many people are forced to use contaminated water, which poses a risk of spreading water-borne diseases.
Ali Azam said, "Every year, when the dry season comes, teachers, employees and students face water shortage. They are forced to collect water from the surrounding areas to run the college's activities." Abu Hanif, a resident of Jhatra village in Angaria Union, said that even after installing deep tubewells, water is not available when the dry season begins. Research has revealed that in these areas, tubewells were installed at depths of 800 to 1,000 feet in the past, but after the installation of production tubewells in the Barisal Cantonment area and Patuakhali Science and Technology University two years ago, the water level dropped even lower. This is having a direct impact on the surrounding settlements.
According to relevant sources, 1,530 tubewells have been installed in Dumki Upazila by the government and about 1,000 by the private sector. However, in many areas, it is not possible to extract sufficient water even by using tubewells and motors at private expense.
Hossain Ahmad Kabir Hawlader, Upazila President of the NGO and Director of PSS, said, "The matter has been informed to the higher authorities concerned to alleviate the water woes of the people. If effective steps are not taken quickly, the situation will become more dire."
In this regard, Dumki Upazila Public Health Engineer Nipa Akhter said that recommendations have been sent to higher authorities to install submersible pumps instead of manual tube wells in the future.
