Photo : Messenger
A severe water crisis is unfolding in the Ghior upazila of Manikganj, with groundwater levels dropping below 28 feet, exacerbated by a prolonged heatwave and insufficient rainfall. The situation has become increasingly dire for the local population, who are grappling with both a lack of drinking water and the inability to irrigate their crops.
The crisis is most acute in the Sadar Union and Baratia Union, where thousands of tube wells installed by families are failing to produce enough water. In response, some residents have resorted to drilling tube wells at depths of over 550-600 feet in a desperate attempt to meet their water needs.
The Public Health Engineering Department has conducted a survey, testing the water from 17,500 tube wells across various unions under the 2021 Arsenic Risk Reduction Project. The results revealed that more than 3,500 tube wells contained arsenic, with levels of up to 0.172 mg per liter, and iron content reaching 10.1 mg per liter, both exceeding safe limits.
Local residents have shared their harrowing experiences. Lutfar Rahman from Baratia village described how his 5-bigha paddy field has developed deep cracks due to the lack of water, and irrigation is nearly impossible due to low water levels and insufficient voltage. He fears that if the situation does not improve, the yield of chitra (wild grass) could surpass that of rice.
Abdur Rahman, also from Baratia, has been unable to draw water from his household tube well for about a month, forcing him to collect drinking water from a neighbor. He expressed that the installation of deep tube wells by the government could have alleviated their suffering.
Shahidur Rahman Tipu from Charkoshunda village in Baliakhora Union installed a 200-feet tube well, only to find that the water was contaminated with arsenic, rendering it unsuitable for consumption. He reported a shortage of both food and water.
Zakaria Kabir, an assistant public health engineer in Ghior, stated that despite the installation of 3,236 tube wells and 948 deep tube wells in the upazila, a fresh water crisis persists.
Majedul Islam, the Upazila Agriculture Officer, highlighted the dangerous decline in the underground water level and the potential impact on agriculture. Without adequate electricity and rainfall, recovering from this overextension could be challenging. Additionally, the heat and drought this year pose a threat to the mango yield in the upazila, potentially leading to a disaster in the local agriculture sector.
As the water crisis deepens, the local administration and residents are calling for urgent measures to address the shortage of fresh water and to mitigate the adverse effects on both daily life and agriculture in the region.
Messenger/Fameema
