Waler scarcity has recently become ven acute everywhere in the district including the (ity Corporation areas due to lack of rain, fall in the ground water table, load shielding and low power voltage.

The district has already been experiencing a drought-like weather since last November. According to (he local Meteorological Office, only 22.60 millimetre rainfall was recorded in Rajshahi during the first four months of the current year, which is sharply down from 211 millimetre recorded during the same period ol the previous year.

It did not rain at all in January in the district, sources said. I ebniary witnessed a rainfall of 0 40 millimetre and March experienced B.HO millimetre The Met Office recorded a shower ol 13.40 millimetres in April.

The ground water level is rapidly going down everywhere in the district. The Uveal Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) office said the water level now stands at an average of between 65 and 77 feet in Mohanpur and (>odagari and 1 anorv upa/ilas.

Due to lowering of the level, lilting of waler by hand tube wells has become troublesome, and in some cases impossible in many areas. The PHEDsourcvs said that (here air about 60,000 hand tube wells in the district -- 11.000 installed by the government whereas the rest 46.00U are privalcly-owned.

Out of the total tube wells, more than 30,000 have already gone out ol order due mainly to lowering of the water level Most of (he running tube wells are lift ingxcantly amount ol waler.

In Rajshahi ( ity Corporation (RCC) area, water supply is being seriously hampered for frequent power outage and low voltage. According to the R( ( Water Supply Department. 29 out of the total 32 deep tube wells are now in operation

’Only because ol load shedding and low voltage, we often have to suspend lifting ol waler with these deep lube wells. This dvcieases waler supply by al least M)per cent," said an R(X.'officialon condituin ol anonymity.

Safe water deal th has also become very acute in the Surendra region, sources said

In the dry highlandsol the Narendra area, the usual sources ol waler are ponds, canals, dug wells and the irrigation deep lube wells ol the Barendra Multipurpose Development Authority (BMDA). Most ol these ponds, canals and wells hav e already dried up

Meanwhile us people cannot but use impure water, outbreak of waterborne diseases, ('specially diarrhoea, has these days become a common phenomenon in the district. According to sources with i ivil surgeon office, the number of patients suffering from diarrhoea and gelling admission to hospitals hav i recently been on an alarming use. Mouret s however said the situation is under control.