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5 yrs into Cyclone Aila

4m suffering from acute drinking water crisis

Speakers at a seminar slam govt for inaction

Staff Correspondent
Around four million people in the coastal region are suffering from acute drinking water crisis due to a lack of government's initiative even after five years since the cyclone Aila hit the Bangladesh coast, said speakers at a seminar yesterday.
Sixty four upazilas in 11 coastal districts were inundated by saline water for months, which has increased the salinity level in the soil and water, they said, adding that unplanned saline water shrimp cultivation had worsened the situation.
But the government has not made any special allocations for the Aila-affected areas to combat the drinking water crisis, they said.
They made the observation at a seminar titled "Revisiting Aila: Cry for Safe Wash (water & sanitation)" jointly organised by NGO Forum and the Department of Public Health and Engineering (DPHE) at the conference room of DPHE.
Prof Dr Abdullah Harun Chowdhury, faculty of environmental science department of Khulna University, in his keynote speech, said the present salinity level of the soil and water of this region was ranging from 7.6 to 15.9 ppt (parts per thousand), while the tolerable level for human is just 0.4 to 1.8 ppt.
The trend of salinity is increasing every year, he said.
The vegetation in the Koyra, one of the Aila-hit areas, was 31 percent in 2008, which came down to nine percent in 2011.
There used to be several kinds of plants in the Aila-hit area including Bot, Kathbadam, Simul, Shaora, Sonalu, Chatim, Jalibet, Kao, Botijam, but all those species have become very rare after the cyclone.
His study also showed that around 45 percent people from South Betkashi and 25 percent of total population of Moharajpur union under Koyra upazila had migrated
4m suffering from
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since Aila.
In many areas, influential locals cut embankments and made sluice gates to take saline water inside for commercial shrimp cultivation, the discussants said.
The speakers recommended that different steps to overcome the situation including proper repairing of the embankments, safe water and sanitation facilities be ensured in the shelters during disaster period.
Zuena Aziz, additional secretary, ministry of local government and rural development, was present as chief guest with Dr A Atiq Rahman, executive director, Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies (BCAS), in the chair.
SMA Rashid, executive director of the Bangladesh NGO Forum, delivered the welcome speech.
Md Nuruzzaman, chief engineer, DPHE; Syed Tajul Islam, deputy secretary, water resources ministry; and several inhabitants from Aila-hit areas including Jayanti Rani Sarder of Dakop, Abdul Mannan of Koyra, Abdur Rauf of Koyra, Shikha Rani of Mongla, Hazera Khatun of Gabura, among others, spoke.