Water Hearing Held in Chakaria on the Occasion of World Water Day: Urgent Action by the Government to Stop the drinking Water Crisis on the Coast

13 Apr 2023 | 10: 18 am

Alhaj Zafar Alam, BA (Hons.) MA, Member of the Standing Committee on Environment, Forest and Climate Change of the National Parliament and Member (MP) of the National Parliament for Cox’s Bazar-01 Constituency, said that due to climate change, 3 lakh people of Chakaria-Pekua Upazila of Cox’s Bazar district are affected in various ways, safe drinking water is not available. sweet water crisis become a major problem in the areas. Due to the raised sea level in the Bay of Bengal salinity has started to have a negative impact on the livelihood of community people, but effective measures have not been taken to save from this disaster. If the government forms a Coastal Development Board, it will be possible to adopt and implement the necessary plans taking into account the problems of the people of this coast. Therefore, a proposal to form the Coastal Development Board will be brought to the Great National Parliament in the upcoming National Parliament. At the same time, priority should be given to climate related projects in affected areas due to climate change. That is why the Ministry of Environment and Climate has to be proactive. If not, the suffering of the common people will increase due to the damage caused by this climate change. On March 22, 2023, Chakaria Upazila Parishad Hall of Cox’s Bazar district, water rights campaign hall room, under Watermove campaign, made the above comments in the hearing organized jointly by ISDE Bangladesh, Participatory Research and Action Network-PRAN and Action Aid Bangladesh.

Chaired by Vice President of CAB Central Committee and Executive Director of ISDE Bangladesh S M Nazer Hossain, the chief guest at the water hearing was Member of Parliamentary Standing Committee for Environment, Forest and Climate Change and Member of Parliament from Cox’s Bazar-01 Constituency Alhaj Zafar Alam, B (Hons.) MA, Vice Chairman of Upazila Parishad and General Secretary of Matamuhuri Upazila Awami League Maksudul Haque Chottu was the special guest. Badarkhali Union Parishad Chairman Nur Hossain participated in the discussion. General Secretary of Upazila Awami League Abu Mucha, Private Secretary of MP Amin Chowdhury, Founder Principal of Virtue School and College Mohiuddin Quader Adul, General Secretary of Chakaria Upazila Press Club and representative of Daily Kaler Kanth Chhotan Kanti Nath, Member of Chakaria Press Club Manzoor Alam, Ziauddin Farooq. Anjuman Ara Begum, Mobarka Begum, Maimuna Khatun, Abu Bakar Siddique, Vachu School and College Student Imam Hossain, student Ishrat Sultana Isha and ISDE Program Coordinator Jahangir Alam and others take part in the discussion.

In the speech of the chief guest, Member of Parliament of Cox’s Bazar-1 Constituency Zafar Alam also said that the Hon’ble Prime Minister has given instructions to keep even 1 inch of land uncultivated, but 1500 hectares of agricultural land has remained uncultivated due to lack of water irrigation in Chakria. Which will have a serious negative impact on agriculture and food security in these areas. If the problem of drinking water in Chakaria-Pekua is resolved, salinity will further reduce the misery of the people. Therefore, urgently draw the attention of the government to formulate a plan for the tribal population.

Men and women of the community presented testimony on behalf of the people affected by the water crisis at the water hearing. They share their personal experiences of how the freshwater crisis is affecting their livelihoods. They spoke of their struggle to collect the daily water required for survival. The drinking water crisis in the coastal areas of Chakaria-Peukya upazila has intensified over time due to climate change and man-made reasons, which has a direct impact on people’s lives. These include spending extra time traveling long distances to collect water, physical ailments due to carrying heavy water storage containers like pitchers, drums, forced drinking of salty and contaminated water resulting in high blood pressure, abdominal pain, health risks like heart disease, infant mortality, pregnant women Seizures, premature abortions and high blood pressure etc. crisis. In addition, households are burdened with additional costs in treating salinity-related illnesses and purchasing essential drinking water.

Other speakers present at the event said that agricultural production is being damaged due to salt water being introduced and fish killing due to disregard of sound rules in the management of slats gate. And in the name of shrimp cultivation, extensive destruction of the environment has been carried out by destroying the large mangrove Sundarbans of Chakria. At the same time, attention needs to be given to retention of Mita water reservoir Matamuhuri river, rain water conservation, expansion of climate tolerant agricultural species. The hearing provided an opportunity to hear first-hand from affected communities about how the insecurity of fresh water in Bangladesh’s coastal communities is disrupting other fundamental rights, which could play an important role in future planning. They urgently demanded to take timely initiatives on the basis of region-based crisis, considering the advantages and disadvantages of the local people as a priority to ensure the supply of water for everyone and daily activities.

On the occasion of World Water Day 2023, a water hearing was held in Chakria on Wednesday, March 22, 2023. Organized jointly by ISDE Bangladesh, Participatory Research and Action Network- PRAN and Action Aid Bangladesh under the water rights campaign Watermove Campaign, the hearings brought together people affected by the safe water crisis, civil society activists, media workers, NGO representatives, public representatives, coastal climate and water crisis. More than 50 people participated in the victims, victims.