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🇧🇩 Bangladesh /Environment & Climate

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From Daily Star · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Coastal communities in Pirojpur, Bangladesh, face a severe shortage of safe drinking water, forcing reliance on untreated river, canal, and pond water.
  • This dependence on unsafe sources increases the risk of waterborne diseases, with residents frequently falling ill.
  • Despite government efforts like rainwater harvesters and RO plants, the supply is insufficient, and commercial purification plants are unaffordable for many, exacerbating the crisis during the dry season when salinity increases.

Residents in Bangladesh's coastal Pirojpur district are grappling with a critical lack of safe drinking water, compelling them to consume untreated water from rivers, canals, and ponds despite the inherent health risks. This reliance on unsafe sources has left thousands vulnerable to waterborne diseases, with frequent reports of illnesses like dysentery.

Many people suffer from different waterborne diseases after drinking this water.

— Shahjahan FarajiA resident of Char Baleshwar village describing the health consequences of drinking untreated water.

The region's coastal location makes it particularly susceptible to salinity, especially during the dry season, which further depletes freshwater availability. Areas including Zianagar, Mathbaria, Pirojpur Sadar, Nazirpur, and Bhandaria are among the most affected.

While the government has distributed approximately 36,000 rainwater harvesters and established over 70 reverse osmosis (RO) plants, locals argue these measures are inadequate to meet the widespread demand. Some entrepreneurs have set up commercial RO plants, but the purified water remains unaffordable for many, particularly those in the working class.

So, we are forced to drink unsafe water.

— Kohinur BegumA resident explaining the lack of safe alternatives in Chandipur village.

Residents like Shahjahan Faraji and Faruk Sikder from Zianagar upazila describe their families' struggles, resorting to canal and pond water and frequently suffering from illnesses. Even existing tube wells do not always provide safe water, forcing the use of unsafe sources. Some residents attempt to purify water using potassium alum or boiling, but these methods are not always feasible.

However, there are not enough rainwater harvesters in our village.

— Monir SheikhA resident pointing out the insufficient supply of rainwater harvesting facilities.

Monir Sheikh highlighted the effectiveness of rainwater harvesters but noted their scarcity in his village. The salinity intrusion from mid-February onwards renders river and canal water undrinkable for months. Dr. Suranjit Kumar Saha, a consultant physician in Pirojpur, acknowledged the widespread issue of waterborne diseases stemming from the lack of safe water access.

But it is not affordable for everyone, especially working-class people.

— Shahjahan Hossain SheikhA resident commenting on the cost barrier of commercially purified water.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Daily Star. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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