The Public Health Engineering Department has taken various steps to alleviate the drinking water crisis in the coastal Koyra upazila of Khulna following cyclone Amphan.
During the cyclone, 32 villages of 4 unions in the upazila were washed away by the tidal wave and an embankment of WAPDA was broken and millions of people were affected.
At that time, more than 50 ponds and about 1200 tube wells
were submerged in salt water causing potable water crisis for the residents.
The government has distributed water tanks, mobile water treatment plants, water purifying tablets and other equipment for the cyclone Amphan affected coastal people to ensure the supply of safe drinking water, said an official of Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) on Wednesday.
As part of the initiative, Department of Khulna PHED has distributed 238 water tanks with 3,000 liters water containing capacity, four mobile water treatment plants, 1.30 lakh water purifying tablets and other equipment to over one lakh people of the cyclone affected 32 villages under four unions in Koyra upazila of the district.
“The department has already elevated 600 tube-wells from the ground water level and examined over 200 to get safe drinking water for the saline prone Koyra upazila residents” the official said.
Koyra upazila PHED engineer Prashanta Kumar Paul said a total of four teams are being worked at the affected area as over 1200 tube-wells and around 50 ponds went under saline water during the super cyclone Amphan.
“After the cyclone Amphan, we have taken the initiative to reach safe drinking water at the doorstep of the affected people.
We also distributed 1.30 lakh water purifying tablets to them immediately through UP chairman and UP members to avoid scarcity of safe drinking water,” he was quoted by BSS as saying.
Besides, 20,000 water jars and hygiene kit box for 525 families and other water equipment have already distributed in the last 22 days, he said, adding that four mobile water treatment plants are also distributing safe drinking water in the area to mitigate their emergency demand.
Akhtaruzzaman Babu, MP, said the government will soon distribute more tube-wells, rain water reserving tanks and other safe drinking water equipment to the Amphan affected coastal people and to excavate ponds in the area to mitigate their safe drinking water demand.