Dearth of drinking water acute at Koyra

KOYRA, KHULNA, June 12: People in Koyra Upazila of the district are not getting drinking water.
According to field sources, the drinking water crisis has turned acute in the upazila after breaching of flood protection embankment due to the Yaas impact.
At present, locals are collecting drinking water from far areas with banana rafts.
Ponds and tube-wells were main sources of drinking water in the coastal town of Koyra. But due to the impact of Cyclone Yaas, the embankment of the Water Development Board (WDB) got breached facilitating flood water to enter localities.
Though food aid is being provided to different shelter centres by the government and NGOs, the drinking water crisis is continuing.
Some are purifying surface water with alum or purifying tablet. But the salinity is not decreasing. If drinking water is not provided immediately, people in waterlogged areas may get sick by drinking contaminated and salty water.
On 26 May, Cyclone Yaas hit 12 points in four  unions of the upazila; 50 villages got submerged. Thousands of people are suffering for scarcity of drinking water.
Meanwhile, broken embankment has been repaired on voluntary basis. But the shortage of drinking water is continuing, said Alhaj Abdullah Al Mahmud, a social worker of Deyara Village in the upazila. He said, WDB embankment got breached submerging 15 villages at Maharajpur Union; food cooking is hampered due to lack of pure water.  
Abdullah Al Mamun Lavlu, chairman of the union, said, the main problem for the people in the flood-hit areas is the drinking water crisis.
If potable water is not provided on an emergency basis, people are likely to be affected by different water-borne diseases.
Upazila Public Health Engineer Pritish Mandal said, there has been  a drinking water crisis in the upazila.
The problem got exacerbated with the collapse of the Sampriti Dam; pure water is being supplied through a mobile water treatment plant in different areas to meet the demand for potable water, he mentioned; water purification tablets are being distributed.
Koyra Upazila Nirbahi Officer Animesh Biswas said, the Public Health Department is supplying water and distributing water purification tablet.
But the communication system in many areas has become disrupted due to flood. It is not possible to go to all areas, he added.
Upazila Chairman Alhaj SM Shafiqul Islam said, the problem of potable water in the coastal areas is long-standing. But it has become more acute after breaching in the embankment.
He mentioned, Public Health Department and NGOs are supplying potable water.