Tubewells go dry in 100 Sunamganj villages causing water crisis

Tubewell

Byline Arun Chakrobortay

Sunamganj May 4 - More than a hundred villages in Sunamganj’s Jamalganj upazila are facing a worsening drinking water crisis, as the groundwater level plunges to alarming depths, drying up tube-wells and forcing residents to queue for hours just to collect a single pitcher of water.

What was once a reliable source of fresh water has turned into a daily struggle for survival across six unions, where tube-wells that worked even five years ago now sit useless.

The crisis, escalating over the past several months, has left villagers scrambling for alternatives in a region where poverty is widespread and infrastructure support is limited.

Some better-off households have installed deep tube-wells—submersible pumps that can reach depths of 670 feet.

Others have attempted to dig a few feet deeper into existing wells, often without success. But for most—mainly the poor farmers—such solutions are financially out of reach.

Many now rely on neighbours with submersible wells, forming long queues and enduring long waits to collect water.

Installing a single submersible well costs around Tk 100,000, an amount few families can afford.

Residents also complain that government-installed deep tube-wells, managed by the Department of Public Health Engineering (DPHE) or distributed through Union Parishads, are often set up on private properties or at individual residences, limiting access for the broader community.

A recent field visit revealed critical shortages across the unions of Sachna Bazar, Jamalganj Sadar, Fenarbak, Bhimkhali, Beheli and North Jamalganj.

Affected villages include Brahmangao, Kukrapashi, Durlovpur, Fajilpur, Ramnagar, Bharatpur, Seromostpur, Mofiznagar, Fatehpur, Kamalabaj, Noaihalat, Shahpur, Telia, Chandpur, Lakshmipur, Kalaguza, Kashipur, Gojaria, Ramur, Sharifpur, Bhootiarpur, Shantinagar, Chhoihara, Daulatpur, Gangadhar, Matar, Rajapur, Kolkotkha, Noagaon and Molinagar.

According to locals, only wells reaching 670 feet currently yield water.

“You can see us standing in line with pitchers to collect water,” said Nasima Begum of Chhoto Ghagatia village in Bhimkhali union.

“Though we have tube wells in the village, none of them work anymore,” she said.

Joya Das and Jharna Das of Brahmangao village in Sachna Bazar union said they have to walk nearly half a mile for a single pitcher of water.

“It’s especially difficult at night. We urge the administration to install functional tube wells in our area urgently,” Jharna Das said.

Saiful Islam, headteacher of a local primary school, added, “The entire upazila is facing a dire crisis. Water levels have dropped so much that tube wells installed even five years ago have dried up. Now, homes with submersible pumps see people from all over coming to collect water.”

A resident who received a government-installed deep tube-well alleged that they had to pay Tk 10,000–15,000 unofficially, along with providing food and other expenses for the installation team.

They claimed that allocations were often influenced by political affiliations, distributed via local MPs.

When contacted, Jamalganj Upazila DPHE Engineer Ram Kumar Saha said, “The 420-foot tube wells have dried up due to the falling groundwater level. Only 670-foot submersible pumps are working now. We are advising people to convert their existing wells and have informed higher authorities about the situation.”

He added that there is a hope that water levels may recover during the upcoming monsoon.- UNB