Around 400 families living in arsenic-affected Dharki village under Sadar upazila have been facing severe drinking water crisis as the sole water pump remained out of order for two years.
The sufferers are yet to see any hope despite repeated appeals, as the authorities concerned allegedly were not paying any heed to the long-pending concern.
Sources said Joypurhat Public Health Engineering directorate in 2004 set up the electric pump at a cost of Tk28 lakh and it used to pump 25,000 litre daily.
Two years ago, overheat burnt the project’s three motors and since then the stalemate remained continued forcing the villagers to bear untold suffering of pure drinking water.
Mohammad Ali said he donated the land for the project so that the villagers can get arsenic-free drinking water. “We are unable to restart the project without government’s help owing to having unusual amount of unpaid electricity bill as well as high water pump repair cost,” Ali continued.
Some locals namely Delwar Hossain, Rostam Ali and schoolteacher Mashiur Rahman echoed the voice of Ali, telling each family had to pay Tk100 monthly to the managing committee for the drinking water facility.
Despite having the bill paid regularly, they have been suffering the water crisis, the villagers alleged.
Sadar Public Health Deputy Engineer Waheduzzaman said: “In reply to an appeal six months ago, I advised the villagers to run the repair works in their own initiative. During dry season, the groundwater level in Dharki village lessens at best 300ft from normal point and this is why the tube-wells there fail to pump any water leaving the locals amid acute suffering.”
Directorate of Public Health Engineering, Joypurhat Executive Engineer Abujar Md Mas-O-Dar Rahman said: “A managing committee comprised of locals was supposed to oversee the project headed by the UP member concerned. It will bear the expenditure from it earnings and there is no scope to manage any state allocation.”
UP Member Abdul Jalil said: “Large amount of money is needed for repair works of the project and the villagers are unable to bear the cost. In this circumstance, I want government’s intervention to restore the pump, to mitigate the suffering of drinking water of the 400 families.”
Local Bambu UP Chairman Golam Kibria said they appealed to the public health engineering directorate for resuming the project and they were yet to get any reply from the authorities concerned.
