Barind: More than 18 lakh villagers in the Barind region, including those residing in high Barind tracts, are now receiving safe drinking water through newly installed pipeline facilities. This development comes as a result of targeted infrastructure projects in the drought-stricken area.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the Barind Multipurpose Development Authority (BMDA) has been providing arsenic-free drinking water to numerous communities in this arid region. Over the past twenty years, the BMDA has installed over 1,715 water supply systems and 670 dug wells across 25 upazilas in the districts of Rajshahi, Naogaon, and Chapainawabganj.
BMDA, the country’s largest state-owned irrigation agency, constructed these facilities along with the necessary pipeline networks to ensure the supply of safe drinking water to remote areas. BMDA Executive Director Tariqul Alam stated that the initiative aims to address the severe drinking water crisis in the Barind region, particularly during the dry season.
Alam explained that alongside expanding water supply installations, the BMDA has arranged for necessary chemicals and laboratory equipment to ensure the water is arsenic-free and safe from other contaminants. “The main objective of this venture is to ensure year-round supply of potable water to people in the targeted areas,” he added.
He noted that the shortage of drinking water has intensified recently, with traditional shallow water technologies losing effectiveness. The demand for deep tube wells has grown due to the rapid decline of the groundwater table and arsenic contamination in shallow aquifers. However, the high cost of deep tube wells is beyond the reach of poor communities, exacerbating public health vulnerabilities due to inadequate sanitation facilities and hygiene practices.
Farmers are also affected as excessive groundwater extraction for irrigation depletes resources. Climate change impacts have further lowered the groundwater table, rendering many hand-driven tube wells inoperative and leading to widespread water shortages.
“In this context, the initiative to supply piped water to remote villages, particularly those near functioning irrigation deep tube wells, is a timely and sustainable solution,” Alam remarked. He highlighted that the piped supply system is more reliable in rural areas, reducing waterborne diseases and supporting rural development.
Residents like Maity Saren from Rahi village in Godagari upazila expressed satisfaction with the new facilities, noting the improvement in access to water. Similarly, Shyamoly Hasda of the same area reported that her family now has sufficient safe water.
Prof Niamul Bari from Rajshahi University of Engineering and Technology emphasized that groundwater levels drop significantly during the dry season, rendering tube wells ineffective. He warned that climate change is exacerbating drought conditions in the Barind tract, increasing temperatures, and causing erratic rainfall patterns.
He pointed out that the Barind region, severely affected by droughts, experiences increased consecutive dry days and rising average temperatures. Drought episodes have become more erratic, posing a serious threat to public health and agriculture.
Prof Bari noted the region’s low average annual rainfall of 1,400 mm compared to the national average of 2,300 mm. The clayey soil hinders rainwater seepage into aquifers, leading to high evaporation rates and slow groundwater recharge. The absence of large surface water sources further exacerbates the water crisis for rural populations.