THE persistent water crisis and increased salinity in supply water in Chattogram amidst the ongoing heat wave show the failure of the authorities to address an issue that has affected people鈥檚 lives for years. The Chattogram Water Supply and Sewerage Authority is reported to be supplying 43 crore litres of water every day against the demand for 50 crore litres, which makes a shortfall of about 7鈥�8 crore litres. Consumers complain that the water supply is suspended for 3鈥�4 hours five days a week and when the supply resumes, the water is too salty to drink. The authorities say that water taken from the River Halda is salty while they are mulling over alternative water intake points on the Karnaphuli. What is also concerning is that the authorities, which increased the water tariff in 2022, has sought to increase the tariff again. On April 2, the authorities sought a tariff increase by 30 per cent for residential and 50 per cent for commercial users. The authorities earlier promised uninterrupted supply and coverage of all areas in the city but could achieve neither.
The freshwater crisis has, in fact, hit a large portion of the population across the country. Residents in different parts of Dhaka are also faced with disruption in water supply. There are also complaints of dirty and stinking water in different parts of the capital city. The freshwater crisis, however, is more pronounced in the coastal region, where an increase in salinity and the intrusion of salt water into plain land have worsened the situation. Studies show that in 35 years, salinity has increased by about 26 per cent, spreading to non-coastal areas. The total area of salinity-affected land, as the Soil Resources Development Institute says, was 83.3 million hectares in 1973, which increased to 105.6 million hectares in 2009 and now continues to increase. The increase in salinity has affected biodiversity, agriculture and livelihood and made it difficult for the coastal people to access fresh water. About 20 million coastal people are, as a UNICEF report says, affected by salty drinking water. When the permissible salinity level in drinking water is 1,000mg per litre, people in some coastal areas consume water with an average salinity between 1,427mg and 2,406mg per litre. The authorities do not fail to acknowledge the problem and blame climate change for it. What they fail to do is to pursue a climate-resilient development plan and take projects to address the issue seriously.
The supply water authorities of Chattogram and Dhaka must, therefore, immediately address the water scarcity in affected areas. The government must also urgently review the situation and allocate the resources to secure additional water sources. The authorities must also ensure people鈥檚 access to freshwater in the coastal region.
