Rangamati Correspondent :
Due to limited capacity to provide water by the Department of Public Health and Engineering (DPHE), the dwellers of the district town have been suffering from the scarcity of pure drinking water for long. The DPHE can supply water to only 30 per cent people of the municipality while the rest has remained out of the network. Though it is the sole responsibility of the municipality to provide water to its dowellers, it has remained off from the activity for long. As a result, only around 5,000 people of the total 19,000 are getting the water, but still it is not of good quality one.
Rangamati DPHE sources said, though the daily demand of water in the municipality is 11,200 cubic metres, but they can supply only 7,200 cubic metres. The deficit is around 5,000 cubic metres. At present, there are four water treatment plants and five booster pumps under DPHE here.
The sources informed, currently there are 2.40 kilometre long pipelines with 1.5 inches width, 4.5 km with 2 inches width, 7.5 km with 3 inches width, 36.25 km with 4 inches width, 12.50 km with 6 inches width, and 6.50 km with 8 inches width to supply water.
Besides, there are 818 hand tube-wells. Due to fault in the supply lines, leakages have developed in many pipes, which cause a considerable amount of water to come out and get wasted.
The DPHE realises bill worth about Tk 7.30 lakh in each month from the water supply but a deficit of about Tk 5 lakh remains in the management system in each month. Especially, a huge amount of electricity bill worth Tk 10 lakh remains arrear in each month as the DPHE has to operate the treatment plants and booster pumps. Currently, about Tk 90 lakh of the local DPHE has remained arrear with the electricity department.
On the other hand, most of the consumers in the municipality who enjoy the water supply facilities by the DPHE, have expressed dissatisfaction over its faulty system. The water supply remains off even for a week or more.
The citizens alleged that the supplied water is not purified most of the times and sometimes turns undrinkable.
When contacted, Civil Surgeon of Rangamati Dr Supriya Barua has advised the people to drink water after properly purifying it.
He informed that the rate of pollution in the water of the Kaptai Lake has increased to a great extent, and so a large source of water is under threat.
Meanwhile, advice was given to improve water supply in the municipality area by setting up three more treatment plants and repairing the supply lines.
It has been alleged that the Rangamati Zilla Parishad is not assisting the DPHE in solving the crisis. Any fault in the pipeline or machine is solved with the money sanctioned from the Zilla Parishad.
But, the allocation is not available in time and so the repair works get delayed. Besides, due to the amount of electricity bill which has remained arrear, the lines may be disconnected at anytime.
Meanwhile, the townies have expressed anger over the longstanding crisis in the water supply in the municipality and demanded immediate solution to the problem.
Due to limited capacity to provide water by the Department of Public Health and Engineering (DPHE), the dwellers of the district town have been suffering from the scarcity of pure drinking water for long. The DPHE can supply water to only 30 per cent people of the municipality while the rest has remained out of the network. Though it is the sole responsibility of the municipality to provide water to its dowellers, it has remained off from the activity for long. As a result, only around 5,000 people of the total 19,000 are getting the water, but still it is not of good quality one.
Rangamati DPHE sources said, though the daily demand of water in the municipality is 11,200 cubic metres, but they can supply only 7,200 cubic metres. The deficit is around 5,000 cubic metres. At present, there are four water treatment plants and five booster pumps under DPHE here.
The sources informed, currently there are 2.40 kilometre long pipelines with 1.5 inches width, 4.5 km with 2 inches width, 7.5 km with 3 inches width, 36.25 km with 4 inches width, 12.50 km with 6 inches width, and 6.50 km with 8 inches width to supply water.
Besides, there are 818 hand tube-wells. Due to fault in the supply lines, leakages have developed in many pipes, which cause a considerable amount of water to come out and get wasted.
The DPHE realises bill worth about Tk 7.30 lakh in each month from the water supply but a deficit of about Tk 5 lakh remains in the management system in each month. Especially, a huge amount of electricity bill worth Tk 10 lakh remains arrear in each month as the DPHE has to operate the treatment plants and booster pumps. Currently, about Tk 90 lakh of the local DPHE has remained arrear with the electricity department.
On the other hand, most of the consumers in the municipality who enjoy the water supply facilities by the DPHE, have expressed dissatisfaction over its faulty system. The water supply remains off even for a week or more.
The citizens alleged that the supplied water is not purified most of the times and sometimes turns undrinkable.
When contacted, Civil Surgeon of Rangamati Dr Supriya Barua has advised the people to drink water after properly purifying it.
He informed that the rate of pollution in the water of the Kaptai Lake has increased to a great extent, and so a large source of water is under threat.
Meanwhile, advice was given to improve water supply in the municipality area by setting up three more treatment plants and repairing the supply lines.
It has been alleged that the Rangamati Zilla Parishad is not assisting the DPHE in solving the crisis. Any fault in the pipeline or machine is solved with the money sanctioned from the Zilla Parishad.
But, the allocation is not available in time and so the repair works get delayed. Besides, due to the amount of electricity bill which has remained arrear, the lines may be disconnected at anytime.
Meanwhile, the townies have expressed anger over the longstanding crisis in the water supply in the municipality and demanded immediate solution to the problem.
