Water crisis in most areas of Moulvibazar town
60 pc locality has no supply line while tube wells are inoperative
A woman tries hard to get water from a tube-well at Borhat in Moulvibazar town. Residents of the town, mostly dependent on tube well water, are suffering due to receding of water level. Photo: STAR
Water crisis grips the residents of Moulvibazar town as 60 percent of the municipality area is outside pipeline water supply coverage while tube wells in most places remain inoperative due to fall of underground water level in the dry season. "I deposited the money for demand note three years ago, but waiting for a water connection till now. Water supply pipe line was installed in their area many years ago. But the municipality authority is not interested to give new connections," Syed Motahar Ali, a resident of Paschim Dharkapon in Moulvibazar town. Many residents of the area applied for water connection 10 to 12 years ago, but they are yet to get it, he said. Several residents of Barhat in the town said in absence of water supply pipeline they have to depend on tube well water but their tube wells are not functioning as underground water level has fallen during the dry season. Tube wells in the female students' hostel of Moulvibazar Government College have also become inoperative due to receding of underground water level. "Only 40 percent area of the town has been brought under pipeline water supply system. Source of water for the people in other areas of the town is shallow and deep tube wells," said Bijoy Krishna Deb, superintendent of the water supply section of Moulvibazar municipality. "The pipeline water supply has not reached the western side of Saiyerpur under ward No-1, Sunapur and Borobari under ward No-2, Raghunandanpur and Nawagaon under ward No-3, Barhat under ward No-6, Dharkapon and Mostofapur under ward No-8 and Barkapon and Shekhergaon under ward No-9," he said. "New supply lines are being installed and replacement of damaged old lines is being done under a water supply and sanitation project that started in 2009. The project will continue till 2012." Besides, an initiative has been taken up to install a plant for purification and supply of surface water at an estimated cost of Tk 9 crore 86 lakh, he said. The plant to be set up at Matarkapon will purify water from the Monu River and it will be supplied through pipeline to the town dwellers. After its full implementation, pipeline water supply will cover 90 percent areas of the town, the official added. The Asian Development Bank has approved the project for purification and supply of surface water in Moulvibazar town, said Mayor Fayzul Karim Mayun.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel.
Comments