Most Barind water supply units not functioning

As many as ten out of 14 drinking water supply units, installed by Barind Multipurpose Development Authority (BMDA), now lie unusable without any water treatment plant.

About 11 years ago, BMDA spent around Tk 1.65 crore to install the water supply units in five upazilas. An overhead reservoir with a capacity of 25,000 litres and around six to eight thousand feet of water supply pipelines were installed as part of each supply unit. Each of the units was designed to provide pure drinking water to nearly 1,600 families, according to BMDA in Gaibandha.

Locals said since underground water in the service areas covered by the ten units -- in Gaibandha Sadar, Sadullapur and Sundarganj upazilas -- has high levels of iron and arsenic, consumption of the water without treatment is not safe. 

In Gobindaganj and Palashbari upazilas, four such units are still in service.

BMDA primarily facilitates irrigation for farmers in the area. It later on took on various other projects including supply of drinking water, excavation of silted ponds and planting trees.

Motiur Rahman, a farmer from Dakkhin Gideri area under Gaibandha Sadar upazila, said they stopped consuming the water supplied through the BMDA pipeline because it looks as red as the tainted water they used to get from tube wells at their homes.

An official at Gaibandha public health engineering department said a small-sized water treatment plant would cost around Tk 20 to 25 lakh.

Ejazul Islam, Executive Engineer of BMDA in Gaibandha, said they prepared a proposal for installing water treatment plants at each of the non-functioning water supply units.

Alternatively, to ensure iron-free drinking water, they will install deep tube wells with extraction pipes below two hundred feet in each service area, he also said.