Severe flooding has disrupted safe drinking water supplies across three upazilas of Chittagong, with nearly 20,000 tube wells contaminated and around 800,000 people affected, according to the Department of Public Health Engineering (DPHE).
Among the 15 flood-hit upazilas of Chittagong, Satkania, Banshkhali, and Chandanaish have suffered the worst damage. Alongside homes, roads, agricultural land, and other infrastructure, the availability of safe drinking water has emerged as the biggest challenge in these areas.
The DPHE reported that 19,961 tube wells have been contaminated with floodwaters in the three upazilas. Both public and privately owned tube wells are included in the assessment. The floods have also damaged 5,694 toilets across the three upazilas.
Local residents said floodwater, layers of mud, and landslides have left thousands of tube wells unusable. Many communities are now struggling to collect safe drinking water, while concerns over waterborne diseases are growing.
In Satkania, flooding and hill runoff have affected around 300,000 people across 17 unions. A total of 7,127 tube wells have been contaminated with floodwaters. The upazila has also reported damage to 2,156 toilets, worsening sanitation challenges.
Banshkhali has also witnessed widespread destruction, with nearly 300,000 people affected across 14 unions. The DPHE recorded damage to 8,026 tube wells. Many tube wells remain unusable as floodwater and contaminated mud have entered their sources. The floods also damaged 2,427 toilets in the upazila.
In Chandanaish, around 200,000 people have been affected, with 4,808 tube wells contaminated with floodwaters across eight unions. Residents said that although floodwaters have receded, many tube wells are still producing cloudy and foul-smelling water, forcing families to travel long distances to collect drinking water. The upazila also reported damage to 1,066 toilets.
Health experts warned that contaminated water following floods could increase the spread of diseases such as diarrhoea, dysentery, typhoid, and hepatitis. They called for urgent measures to disinfect damaged tube wells, repair affected facilities, install alternative water sources, and ensure emergency supplies of safe drinking water.
DPHE Executive Engineer Palash Chandra Das said authorities have prepared a damage assessment and initiated emergency measures. Efforts are underway to restore completely damaged tube wells, repair partially damaged ones, and provide safe drinking water to flood-affected communities.
District Civil Surgeon Dr Jahangir Alam said post-flood health risks have increased significantly. To tackle the situation, emergency medical camps are being organised through upazila health complexes, providing free treatment, medicines, water purification tablets, and health awareness advice to affected people.
