Drought in northwestern Bangladesh has left locals without drinking water for the past six months

The affected region is part of the diocese of Mymensingh, home to nearly 5.5 million people. Villagers have to walk two kilometres to fetch water. Many “drink polluted water” and “get sick. For expert, drought "is the first cause,” but farmers’ water use is also crucial.

Sherpur (AsiaNews) – Drought has struck northwestern Bangladesh with a vengeance. In some parts, there has been no drinking water for the past six months.

The area is part of the diocese of Mymensigngh, where most Christian Garo live. At least a dozen districts, home to nearly 5.5 million people, have to endure water shortages.

Nobas Khakshi, a tribal leader in Sherpur, reports that villagers are forced to walk for more than two kilometres every day to get to the closest wells or fountains.

Drought is rare in Bangladesh, and most people have adequate access to water for their daily needs, farming and industrial activities. However, since the start of the year, a “water emergency is threatening the lives of residents,” Khakshi said.

The government has installed a number of tube wells, but they are not very deep, and cannot meet demand. "I know that 60 per cent of these wells will not work in the dry season," Abdul Motalab, an engineer with the local Water Department, told AsiaNews.

Speaking about drinking water shortages, he added that "the drought is the first cause," but human activity is crucial. "Farmers use of shallow machines to irrigate the land and the water flows into the deeper layers."

Forchan Sangma, a Catholic, explained that villagers get water from fountains located in the hills. However, "Most of them drink polluted water from the waterfall and other sources and then get sick. We are looking forward to the rains. This way we can get some relief.”

Although the rainy season is expected in April, "the government should take immediate action. We do not have the option of installing deeper wells," Sangma said.

"Every year, people who live in this area always face the same problem,” complains Razak Miha, a Muslim. “I tried to collect water from my well for an hour but I did not succeed."

For experts, "to solve the problem of drought in a definitive way, people should stop filling ponds and dig deeper to conserve water. Rivers should be widened and dams should be built to collect the water."

• bangladesh
• Mymensingh
• drought
• farming