Aila affected people still face acute water crisis
Cyclone Aila affected people of Kamarkhola and Sutarkhali unions in Dakope upazila of Khulna in a long queue collecting water from Sadar upazila due to persisting crisis of fresh drinking water in those areas.Photo: STAR
Serious crisis of safe drinking water is causing intestinal diseases like diarrhoea and dysentery in the Aila-affected Dakope upazila of Khulna district. According to officials, sources of safe drinking water from canals and ponds in the area were badly polluted following collapse of the embankments due to onslaught of cyclone Aila on May 25 in 2009. Saline water from the coastal rivers entered the villages, especially in Kamarkhola and Sutarkhali unions under Dakope upazila worsening the situation. "There is no source of pure drinking water in the Aila-affected areas of the upazila. People are contacting diarrhoeal diseases due to drinking saline water from rivers," said Dakope Upazila Medical Officer Dr SM Akbar Hossain. The medical team formed after the onslaught of Aila to provide medical services is not functioning at present due to lack of manpower, he said. Diarrhoeal disease is gradually spreading to different villages as people are drinking saline water to quench their thirst, said day labourers Sobhan Gazi, Elahi Bux, Mandar Mandol and Bhabotosh Roy of Gunari village in Sutarkhali union. "My four-year-old son Rajib is suffering from diarrhoea. He shows no sign of improvement as I cannot arrange good treatment for him," said Sobhan Gazi. The situation will take an alarming turn if government and non-government organisations do not come forward to supply safe drinking water without any further delay, said Mandar Mandol and Bhabotosh Roy of Kamarkhola union. "The project for supplying safe drinking water to Kamarkhola and Sutarkhali unions undertaken by the Department of Public Health Engineering last year has remained suspended," said Dakope Upazila Nirbahi Officer Daulatuzzaman. "I have asked for approval of the higher authorities to resume implementation of the project to solve serious crisis of safe drinking water in the area, especially during this dry season," he said.
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