The clock is tickling at 4. The whole world is self-indulging in comfortable sleep. Even at this hour, Some procrastinate with luxurious possessions intending to wake up at ten or later. But some of us don't even have the privilege to wake up at 7. Kusumlota Tripura wakes at sharp 4. Survival is the alarm.
Kusumlota Tripura is a resider of Matiranga Upaliza in Khagrachari. She bears the responsibility of fulfilling her family's thirst for seven members.
After walking up, her 3 kilometers of traveling downhill of the "Alutila Pahar" to collecting 35-40 pitchers of water starts with 2 of her daughters. She has to repeat this journey almost three times a day to accumulate an adequate amount of water. As it gets a little late, the monkeys mess up the drinkable water of the well.
It's not the story of only Kusumlota. It's the tale of every woman from 40 areas residing in 2 number ward of Sadar Union 20 kilometers from Matiranga Upazila.
Karbari Surya Kiran Tripura of the area stated there was a water crisis during Fagun month. The water sources of this area include small wells and springs at the bottom of the hill. As soon as the dry season arrives, the springs dry up. During the rainy season, the containment of water gets successful. But the real suffering begins with the onset of the dry season. Matiranga Sadar Union panel chairman Chandra Kiran Tripura said, 'I am a resident of this area. I also suffer from water shortage. The women of the village walk for hours on hills to collect water from small wells. It is not possible to provide water with the allocation that comes to the Parishad. I myself have contacted the district council and the public health engineering department many times for water.'
More than half of the people residing in the 9 Upazilas of Khagrachhari District collect water from natural sources. In these 9 Upazilas, a severe water crisis started during the dry season. With the increase in population, the water demand is increasing in remote areas. The hill people live in these areas. Pradeep Chowdhury, president of the Khagrachhari Environmental Protection Movement, said water was once available in the hills all year round. Water resources are getting lost due to the destruction. This crisis of water is expected to arrive at an end if the Hill District Council, Chittagong Hill Tracts Development Board, and the Department of Public Health Engineering take joint initiative. Rebecca Ahsan, an executive engineer of the Khagrachhari Public Health Engineering Department, said on her mobile phone that a survey would be conducted in hilly areas where there is no water crisis or water source. Action are yet to be taken on this basis.
According to the Department of Engineering, the number of deep tube wells and pressure mills in the district is 9,063. Of these, 234 have been placed in schools. Work is underway to install 34 deep tube wells in the current financial year. In the Khagrachari district, water is supplied to 56 percent of the total population. Others depend on natural sources ( Jhiri, fountain, well, rhyme). Perth Tripura, a district council member, said water sources were drying up due to the unplanned planting of teak and rubber trees in the hills. Apart from that, the water level in the mountains is much lower than in the plains as it is a rocky area. In some areas, the water level is not found even after going down 300 to 500 feet. When water sources are not available even after working for 10-12 days, the contractors do not want to work. Even then, where deep tube wells cannot be installed, discussions are being held on how to provide water.
Written by Sushmit Chakma
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