SATKHIRA, Dec 13: About 4,000 people of Dalit Community of 13 villages are being deprived of getting potable water in three unions of Sadar Upazila in the district. Among the 731 families of these villages, 390 families are getting potable water, where the remaining 341 families are being forced to drink the water full with arsenic and iron.
Local sources said people of those 731 families in three unions, including Agardari, Balli and Zhaudanga were forced to drink unsafe water till the month of June this year.
Dalit, a Non-Government Development Organisation, took the initiative to ensure safe water and sanitation facilities for the backward population in the country. Following this, in the last six months, they have made these communities aware of safe drinking water.
The organisation claims that more than half of the people of this area are now drinking safe water. According to the organisation, 90 per cent of the people belonging to the backward community Dalit drink and use water after buying it. Among them, 60 per cent of people are using safe closet, where 40 per cent of the people are still use unsafe open closets. Cleanliness can be reduced to 90 per cent.
Bikash Chandra Das, Officer of the Dalit Organisation Satkhira Unit, said there was no water line in any village of Agradari, Balli and Zhaodanga unions of Sadar Upazila. The only source of drinking water here is the tube-well. About 5-10 families collect water from each tube-well in the area. As a result, they suffer more in water crisis. Due to the water crisis, the drainage system is extremely risky there. As women are usually liable for collecting water in rural areas of the country, they are suffering the most due to this.
He also said on June 2019, 731 families of 13 villages of Agardari, Balli and Zhaodanga unions of Sadar Upazila were suffering from various problems to get safe drinking water, hygienic toilets and hygiene facilities. The women and children of Babulia Rishipara, Indira Goldarpara, Chuparia Rishipara, Ramdanga Bhagwanipara and Kashimpur Hajampara of Agardari Union are deprived of access to safe water, hygienic toilets and hygiene facilities.
On the other hand, people of Kathaltala, Rishipara, Mukundpur, Karikarpara and Raipur Bhagawanipara of Balli Union are suffering from various diseases due to deprivation of safe drinking water, hygienic toilets and hygiene. In addition to that six persons from Zhaudanga Union, Rishipara, Kahaldanga Karikarpara, Madhabkati Colonypara, Akhrakhola Modalpara and Waria Gollapara are now suffering from various diseases. Besides nutrition, they are suffering from psoriasis including diarrhoea, gallstones, gastric, ulcers and hay fever. About 4,000 people in these areas are using water full with arsenic and iron. The tube wells are filled with garbage. Most of these family members do not use a healthy closet.
A closet is usually used by 3-5 families in those areas. As most of the people in the area are very poor, it is really difficult for them to buy safe water and to construct a clean closet.
Bikas Chandra Das said the above situation has pushed those people to a life where their human dignity is severely undermined. They have called on the government to make the lives of Dalits backward in the socially degraded, insecure and civil disadvantaged population a step further.
Satkhira Sadar Upazila Public Health Engineering Officer Moniruzzaman said the total number of arsenic-free tube-wells in the upazila is 6,636, of these, 6,137 are running; the number of deep tube-wells is 2,024, of these, 30 are inoperative; and the shallow tube-wells are 3,228, of these, 246 are not functioning.
He also said the water tested at Zhaudanga and Balli unions showed that the arsenic levels in these two unions were more than 0.05 milligrams per litre of water. As a result, the water here is harmful to health.
Satkhira Civil Surgeon Dr Sheikh Abu Shaheen said if the arsenic level is more than 0.05 milligrams per litre of water, it is ineligible to drink water. Arsenic water cannot be arsenic free. A number of unions in the upazila are being made aware of of drinking arsenic-free water, he added.
