report in The Daily Star, Mar 13, 2023
On the banks of Brahmaputra river, Lalvanu Bewa and Mariom Begum start their day by collecting water in pitchers for cooking. It’s something they have been doing since childhood, just like women in over 100 families in Char Parbati area of Kurigram Sadar upazila.
It’s a challenging and exhausting process to fetch water every day, but they have no other choice. As they return home with the heavy pitchers, one can’t help but feel their pain and struggle. But for them, it’s a matter of survival. The tube-well water in the area, under Jatrapur union, is contaminated with iron, making it unsuitable for cooking.
All the other char women The Daily Star talked to shared similar sentiments. Their food becomes black when cooked with the tube-well water, and it has no flavour. Besides, there’s always a risk of getting various waterborne-diseases, they added.
Contacted, Executive Engineer of Department of Public Health Engineering in Kurigram Harunur Rashid said it’s a heartbreaking situation. The shallow layer tube-wells installed in the char areas contain high levels of iron, making the water unfit for consumption. Although deep layer tube-wells could provide pure water, it’s a luxury that most char people can’t afford.
The thought of families struggling to access clean water for their basic needs is distressing. The lack of government action and support only adds to the despair. But there’s hope. Harunur said that a report on the water crisis will be conveyed to the higher authorities, and action will be taken in this regard.
https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/water-crisis-kurigram-char-3269761
