Hundreds of people are suffering in Garo localities at Jhenaigati in Sherpur as severe shortage of drinking water has been going on from the beginning of the winter that remains a dry season.
In addition to that many of them— especially children— are becoming ill because of waterborne diseases as the community have to drink water from ponds, canals, ditchs and fountains as an alternative sources.
Inhabitants of nine villages— Tawakucha, Gurucharan Dudhnoi, Panbor, Bakakura, Gandhigao, Halchati, Noukuchi, Gajni and Choto Gajni— are the worst sufferer of the water crisis.
The villagers of Choto Gajni dug out a big hole that was being used as a water reservoir beside a road in the village to meet the demand of the villagers.
Residents of the village said the water of the hole can be used for 15 days.
Officials at Upazila Public Health Engineering Directorate said it was not possible to set tube well in the indigenous populated hilly villages as there were a lot of stones underneath the soil of the areas.
They also added that though the government had set few tube wells in some places, but those too were dry as the water level went down 100 feet to 150 feet in this dry season.
Mohammad Mojammel Haq, upazila nirbahi officer, said they had inform the higher authorities about the situation here, while he was hoping that the authorities will take initiative to resolve the problem.