Water Crisis Acute in Barkal of Rangamati
Pipelines damaged 15 years ago, lone fountain also drying up
Two women try to fill their jars with water dripping from the lone hill fountain near Barkal upazila headquarters in Rangamati district. Photo: STAR
Like every year, crisis of drinking water has turned acute in Barkal upazila headquarter area during the ongoing dry season. Around five thousand people of the locality use water from a hill fountain or Kaptai Lake for drinking and household works in absence of any alternative source. As the soil of this area is rocky, no tube-well or ring-well has been installed there. About 24 years ago, the then upazila parishad set up pipelines to reach water to the residents at upazila sadar, said sources at the Department of Public Health Engineering, Rangamati. But those pipelines got damaged about 15 years ago and since then no water technology like GFS (gravity flow system) was installed from government or non-government initiative. The people often suffer from water born diseases like diarrhoea, jaundice and dysentery as they drink water from the open fountain without boiling. During a recent visit to the area, this correspondent found that the people are dependent on the water from fountains or Kaptai Lake for drinking and household works. Use of water purification tablets is rare. Flow of the fountain that runs from a hill has drastically fallen in this current dry season, adding to the suffering of the residents of nearby areas. If the ongoing drought-like situation continues for long, the lone fountain in the area may dry up, said villagers. “For an hour I am holding my jar in the fountain water but it is yet to be full. It is time to go to school but I came here to fetch water to help my mother,” said Anupama Chakma, a class ten student. Rina Dewan, a teacher of Barkal Model Primary School, and housewife Smriti Chakma said their family members are often attacked with water-borne diseases. They blamed the government officials and local public representatives for this. "Fountain water sources are rapidly drying up due to jhum cultivation that leads to clearing of green trees and jungle. This can be revived through plantation of trees at the upper hill areas of the fountain. But some families, which are dependent on jhum farming, must be rehabilitated first for this purpose," Md Nurunnabi, an official of upazila nirbahi officer's office, said. Barkal Sadar union parishad chairman Pravat Kumar Chakma said a project will be taken to repair water pipes in next financial year. “We will try to cover this upazila next fiscal year if we get fund from GoB-UNICEF project. A GFS (gravity flow system) can be installed to address the water crisis,” said Ashiur Rahman, sub-assistant engineer of DPHE.
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