Potable water crisis in Southwest Bangladesh

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Potable water crisis in Southwest Bangladesh

It is well known that scarcity of drinking water is acute as freshwater aquifers are not available at suitable depths and the surface water is highly saline in southwest Bangladesh.

Households are mainly dependent on a few water technologies and sources including Rain Water Harvesting (RWH), Pond Sand Filters (PSF), Reverse Osmosis (RO), and deep tube-wells and pond water for drinking purposes. But the technologies are expensive and barely affordable for the poor communities. Thus, they drink poisoned water from local sources.    

Therefore, individuals in these areas often suffer from waterborne diseases. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that four out of five cases of child mortality in the areas are related to contaminated drinking water. Lack of access to clean water leads to increased rates of disease, lower attendance rates at school and work, and a drastic reduction in overall life quality. According to a 2012 study by the Department of Public Health Engineering (DPHE), 61 percent of the coastal region's population face serious health issues. Without enough fresh water, women and young girls are amongst the worst sufferers. As women drink less water, high blood pressure and heart and kidney diseases are common, which affect the health of new-born babies.

In addition, most people in the region are unaware of the increasing salinity and its many implications. According to a new study carried by DPHE and the Institute of Water Modelling, 84 percent of people don't know about salinity in groundwater in the country's coastal region.

In the last decade, the government had taken various steps to resolve water problems in the coastal region. Dredging of Gorai River is one of them. It is expected that the flow of river water will increase in the coastal region, and freshwater sources will be restored, eventually resolving the salinity problem. Also, a combination of household and community-based options could be suitable for year-round water supply while community-based options need regular maintenance. In addition to installation of water supply facilities, it is necessary to make the residents aware of proper operation and maintenance of the facilities.

Bangladesh's southwest is surrounded by a number of rivers. But due to the extreme level of salinity and lack of long-term sustainable solutions, people in the coastal belt are suffering from scarcity of potable water. Their sufferings remind us of a verse from  The Rime of the Ancient Mariner  by Samuel Taylor Coleridge: “Water, water, everywhere. But not a drop to drink.”

SOURCES: http://www.students-waterdiplomacy.org/blog/2015/4/8/salinity-in-the-south-west-region-of-bangladesh-and-impact-of-climate-change . http://www.thedailystar.net/opinion/environment/potable-water-crisis-southwest-bangladesh-1512511

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