People in the district are using contaminated water from ponds for drinking and household work as most of the Pond Sand Filters (PSF) in government reserve ponds have become inoperative.

Besides, private ponds contain saline water as they are being used for fish cultivation.

While visiting Kachua, Morrelganj, Sharonkhola, Rampal, Mongla and Chitalmari upazilas, this correspondent found that many canals that contained sweet water are dried up and water from tube-wells contains arsenic and iron.

In Sangdia and Afra of Kachua upazila, this correspondent saw boys carrying water from local government ponds on rickshaw vans.

“I fetch water from Sangdia's reserve tank on my rickshaw-van and supply water to houses and shops for Tk 6 per 10 litre jar within half-a- km from the pond and for Tk 10 per jar up to 1 km,'' said Badshah Sheikh, one of the boys.

 The solvent people are buying a 20 litre container of drinking water for Tk 40 from the local market, Badshah added.

 “I come to the pond twice daily as there is no reserve tank in our village and carry four jars of water for cooking and drinking,” said Jalil Sheikh, 55, of Kalmibuniya village, which is 3 km from the pond.

“We need a lot of water due to the scorching heat,'' he said, adding that the saline water of canals causes skin diseases.   

“I need seven containers of drinking water per week, which costs Tk 280. If the government takes initiative to install solar energy-run filters we will be grateful,” said Tarun Das of Sangdia.

“The tube-well here contains arsenic and PSFs installed by the side of ponds are inactive. So, we need more PSFs as well as strong PSF management authority,'' said Ulka Das, a school teacher in Morrelganj.

“We have two reserve ponds, but the two PSFs by the side of the ponds are inactive. The people who have taken lease of it are cultivating fish here and using chemical fish feed in it, which is injurious to health,'' said Badhal Union Parishad Member Selim Shikder.

“We are excavating166 ponds in the district. After that we will make PSFs and take measures to protect the ponds and PSFs,'' said Department of Public Health Engineering Executive Engineer Shamim Ahmed.

“We will encircle the ponds with cables and pillars and make a gate for taking water from there,'' he added.