Mongla: Residents of Mongla and Rampal upazilas in Bagerhat are rejoicing as their families now have access to safe drinking water, following the installation of rainwater harvesting tanks by the Department of Public Health Engineering (DPHE).
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Nazrul Fakir, a 50-year-old shrimp farm worker in Bashtala village, shared that his family had long suffered from waterborne diseases due to the scarcity of potable water in the salinity-affected coastal area. Fakir expressed relief, noting that the DPHE-installed tank has already enabled him to store rainwater, potentially meeting his family’s drinking water needs beyond the rainy season. Previously, his family had to travel significant distances to access water.
Another villager, Israfil Sheikh, echoed Fakir’s sentiments, stating that he could never afford such a tank on his own. Sheikh expressed gratitude for the project, which has finally provided his family with access to safe water after years of consuming saline water.
The DPHE is in the process of installing 7,387 rainwater harvesting tanks in Mongla and Rampal upazilas. These installations are part of two government projects funded by the Climate Trust Fund and the Coastal Rainwater Harvesting Programme. Currently, around 6,000 families have benefited from the tanks, offering significant relief to residents affected by acute salinity intrusion.
Jayanta Mallick, DPHE Executive Engineer of Bagerhat, explained that salinity has created a severe safe water crisis in the upazilas near the Sundarbans. Mallick detailed that Tk 10.10 crore has been allocated under the Climate Trust Fund to install 2,000 tanks, with the project approximately 70 percent complete. After overcoming temporary fund shortages with an additional Tk 2.5 crore received on August 18, installation efforts have resumed, aiming for completion by December 2025.
The Coastal Rainwater Harvesting Project is utilizing Tk 17.70 crore to install 4,023 tanks in Mongla and Tk 6.16 crore for 1,364 tanks in Rampal, with the project slated for completion by December 2026.
Professor Samiul Haque of Khulna University emphasized the critical nature of these initiatives, as shallow tube-wells often produce highly saline water. Haque highlighted rainwater harvesting as the most reliable solution and urged the government to allocate more projects to ensure safe water access for coastal communities across the south-western belt.