Declare 4 Ctg villages as water-stressed areas: HC
The High Court today gave three months to the water resources ministry to decide about declaring four villages in Chattogram as "water-stressed areas" under the Water Act, 2013 as it is not possible to lift water by handpumps or tube wells from their grounds for people's use.
During the hearing of a pending writ petition, the court ordered eight industries, which were allegedly withdrawing groundwater from the four villages –Charkanai, Hulaine, Panchuria and Habilashdweep under Patiya upazila of Chattogram, to refrain from lifting any groundwater in those areas.
At the same time, the HC said no industries of "Red" or "Orange" classes can be established in the four villages in future without arranging alternative water.
The HC bench of Justice Mahmudul Hoque and Justice Md Mahmud Hassan Talukder passed the order while hearing the writ petition filed as a public interest litigation by Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (Bela) in 2015 seeking necessary directives.
Around 30,000 villagers of these four villages in the Habilash Dweep union were not getting much water as around 350 tube wells in the areas have allegedly become out of order due to the withdrawal of groundwater by eight industries and factories, Bela said in the petition.
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