Water-scarce Barind region is embracing a looming drought since the subterranean aquifer level ran deep due to excessive exploitation of water for irrigation and household utilities. The crisis of water is visible elsewhere in the Barind region of greater districts of Rajshahi, Chapainawabganj, Naogaon, Joypurhat and Natore districts.
Specially, the crisis of drinking water in the Barind region comprised of zig-zag, hillocks and red-soil of Chapainawabganj and Naogaon districts has turned acute since most of the hand tube wells of the region have become inoperative and the ring-wells, ponds and water-bodies have been dried up. The cultivation of crops in the region is also under threat due to a low pumping of water from the deep tube wells.
A survey conducted by voluntary organisation DASCO shows, due to continuous exploitation of underground water the subterranean aquifer level is continually depleting for the last three decades without the sufficient time and source to recharge the level. The natural water recharge system in the underground aquifer has, in fact, turned vulnerable due to excessive use of underground water for irrigation and other purposes through deep tube-wells.
DASCO has sent the survey report to the Department of Public Health and suggested supplying water for irrigation in the crop land in alternative ways. The survey report was prepared after conducting a field research for the last one year.
According to sources of the Public Health Department in Rajshahi, the underground water level was available only 60 to 70-feet deep three-decade ago. After the starting of fetching underground water through using deep tube wells under Barind Multipurpose Development Authority in 1985 for the purpose of irrigation, thousands of deep tube wells have been commissioned under BMDA and in private initiatives.
Due to violation of the zone-density of commissioning of the deep tube wells, the subterranean water levels of the Barind region have now depleted below 100 feet. In many places of Rajshahi region underground water level is not avail able behind 170-feet at present, As a result, most of the deep tube-wells of the region are failing to fetch water more than 50 percent of its capacity.
According to the Department of Public Health and the Volunteer organisations, 40 unions under Rajshahi division are now in the high-risk and vulnerable in case of water level depletion crisis. Of these, 14 unions are from Tanore and Godagari upazilas of Rajshahi, two from Chapainawabganj sadar and four from Nachole upazila, one from Bholahat, five from Gomastapur of Chapainawabganj district, 10 unions from Niamatpur, Porsha, Sapahar and Mohadevpur upazilas of Naogaon district and four unions of Joypurhat district. Moreover, 27 unions of the regions are highly susceptible in position as these unions lie 65 metre above the sea-level.
Engineer Jahangir Alam of DASCO informed, water is not available even after digging the wells in the Barind region. It is almost impossible now to fetch under-ground water through using hand-tubewells. .
Dr. Chowdhury Sarwar Jahan of the Department of Geology and Research of Rajshahi University informed the water level of Barind region has been depleted mainly due to excessive use of underground water. A number of surveys and research has been conducted in this connection and recommendations have been made to the government to increase the source of surface water but no visible step in this connection has yet been taken.
