Power, water crises grip Bandarban town

Set in a landscape of rugged hills and spoilt for scenic beauty, Bandarban town should be a heavenly place to visit or live. In many ways it is, as long as one doesn't need electricity or water.

"For the last two weeks we've had to collect water from the Sangu River," says Ma Mya Ching Marma, a resident of Ujanipara. "There's been no regular supply and we need drinking water from somewhere." She also complains of frequent load shedding.

"In our area previously the water supply ran twice a week," says Laxmi Rani Das, a housewife from Balaghata locality, "But for the past fortnight we haven't had any."

"We don't even have the water to meet basic daily needs," says Shahidul Islam of the town's Kalaghata area.

According to public health engineer Sohrab Hossain, the severe load shedding combined with low voltage current when the electricity is running, is the main cause of the drastically unreliable water supply.

Faulty and unrepaired pump machines have exacerbated the crisis which is affecting much of the town including Banorupa, Islampur, Hafezghona and Nilachal tourist spot.

Moreover, many government tube and ring wells which might have offered a reasonable alternative are out of order, forcing residents to use contaminated river and pond water or to buy bottled water if they can.

Even the few functional wells have little water in them as the water table across the hill town has gradually fallen.

The situation is likewise critical for tourists and tourism. "My family and I are impressed by Bandarban's panoramic beauty," says first time visitor to Nilachal, Srabonti Roy of Dhaka, "but we have to leave without visiting other places because of the endless load shedding and water crisis at the hotel."

Meanwhile the district public health authority has received an urgent notice from the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) to pay over Tk 1 crore in outstanding rates. "If they don't pay," warns BPDB executive engineer Abdul Quder Gani, "the electricity will be disconnected."

"We are trying to resolve the technical faults as quickly as possible to resume normal water supply in the town," says Sohrab Hossain. Residents and tourists alike hope so, because for many it's beginning to seem as if the relevant authorities have forgotten the town altogether.