Cry for drinking water in the coast

Dwellers of Khulna city now facing crisis

Special Correspondent: The cry for clean drinking water that started across the Khulna coast during the dry season has now reached the metropolis even. Coastal people walk miles to collect water and city dwellers have to stand in queues late at night to collect it. Long lines of men and women can be seen late at night in tube wells where water is still rising in the city. Fresh water has become more important to them than Sahri in Ramadan.
This suffering is due to the fact that the water supplied from the clean water supply project for the city dwellers at a cost of Tk 2.5 billion is not drinkable. The water being supplied from this deep tubewell dependent project is not matching the fate of many. Due to the new rule of water supply, the city dwellers have to suffer more and more.
When visiting different areas of the city, the tube wells installed in the city during the Khulna City Corporation are the only source of fresh water. However, these tube wells have also become useless due to the drop in water level during the current dry season. Some tube wells are getting water late at night. And the people of the city are crowding near that tube well at night. Water has to be taken from this tube well with a lot of effort.
Meanwhile, according to Khulna WASA sources, water is being supplied under new rules since the beginning of Ramadan. The pump operating schedule is posted next to the pumps from which water is supplied. Water will be supplied from the main project outside this period. According to the new timings, the pumps will be open from 6 am to 7:30 am, 10 am to 12 noon, 2:30 pm to 4:30 pm and 7 pm to 10 pm. Madhumati river water will be supplied outside this period.
The residents of the city expressed their anger and said that they have been informed that water will be supplied from the plant during the time after the pump is started under the new rules. But that water is not visible to the eye. Moreover, the water from the pumps does not come properly. As a result, the city dwellers have to face a lot of difficulties for water during the month of Ramadan.
Sultana Rahman, a resident of SatrastaMor area of Khulna city, said that Wasa water is not available much. As a result, if the water does not rise from the tubewell installed in the house, it is very uncomfortable. Wasa water is fairly available in winter but now it is very less. The water has smell and salinity. Sometimes muddy water is also coming. which is accumulating in the tank.
Golam Mostafa Bakul, a resident of Mylapota area, said that his house has a WASA connection. But last few days water was not available properly. As there are no ponds or canals nearby, he has to depend on Wasa water. But now even that water is not available properly.
Greater Khulna Development Struggle Coordinating Committee President Sheikh Md. Ashraf Uz Zaman said that Khulna Wasa increased the price of water last year. But it is not able to give water in that ratio now.
He expressed his anger and said that the water supplied by WASA for 6-7 months of the dry season of the year is not suitable for use. That water is smelly and dirty. That dirty water is supplied to customers in Khulna.
However, the managing director of Khulna Wasa, Engineer Md. Abdullah said that water supply is being increased during the current dry season. Along with this, arrangements have been made to reduce salinity.