Own Correspondent: The people of the port city of Chittagong are suffering due to declining production of water, shortage of supply, and salinity in the water. For more than a month, there has been a severe water crisis in various parts of the city. Chittagong WASA is providing water to different areas through rationing. Meanwhile, as there is no normal supply of water in some areas, locals are meeting their water needs by purchasing water vouchers in cash from WASA.
Chittagong Wasa said that due to a lack of rain, it is not possible to purify and supply the necessary water from the main water source of the Wasa water treatment plants. As a result, this crisis has arisen across the city. They also hope that the situation will be normal only if it rains.
A jobber named Hamidur Rahman Liton lives near the Wasa head office in Dampara, Chittagong city. When spoken to, he told the media, ‘We have been facing a severe water crisis day after day for the past month. Sometimes there is no water for a day or two in a row. As a result, we have to deal with water for cooking, bathing, and bathrooms. Children and other members of the family have to be sent to the house of their relatives to take a bath.
Abid Hossain, a resident of the Chawkbazar DC Road area of the city, said, “We are getting water supply one day after two days. There is a severe water crisis in this whole area. All the water I get is salty. The salinity does not go away even after boiling and filtering the water.
Samina Haider, a housewife from the same area, said, “Due to salinity, WASA water has now become unusable.”
Chittagong social activist Kaiser Ali Chowdhury said, ‘We are in extreme suffering due to the water crisis and salinity. On the one hand, there is no water most of the day. Sometimes a water supply is available, but due to salinity, the water cannot be used. The water coming from many areas is dirty and smelly. Meanwhile, protests and protest programs were also held in various areas, including the head office of Chittagong WASA, to resolve the water crisis. On behalf of the Chittagong Citizen Forum, a memorandum has been submitted to the managing director of Wasa to resolve the crisis.
Chittagong WASA Chief Engineer Maqsud Alam admitted to the water crisis and salinity. He said, “Due to the lack of rain, water production in almost all the water treatment plants in Wasa has seriously reduced. Currently, Chittagong city has a demand of 46 crore liters of water per day. In contrast, the average production has come down to 40 crore liters. Due to a production deficit of about 5–6 crore liters against the demand, water supply has to be provided through rationing in various areas.
He also said, “The Halda River is the main source of water for the Madunaghat water treatment plant project in Chittagong Wasar. Salinity has also increased in the water of that river. As a result, salinity remains in the water even after treatment. As a result, customers in many areas are getting a supply of salty water.
Chittagong WASA Supervising Engineer Md. Ariful Islam said, ‘The crisis will end only if it rains. On the one hand, water production at Sheikh Hasina Water Treatment Plants 1 and 2 in Rangunia and Chittagong has decreased as a result of a lack of rain and an excess amount of algae in the Karnaphuli River and Halda River.
