300 families of Chunkuri now have access to safe water

On the shores of the Bay of Bengal, in the southwestern part of the country, lies the Chunkuri village of the Dacope upazila of Khulna where Aklima Khanam lives with her family. Most of the year, Aklima, her two children, and the rest of the family suffer from stomach ailments. Almost all the other families in the village suffer from waterborne diseases such as diarrhoea or dysentery. The use of saline water for all their daily tasks has been considered the primary cause of these diseases.

The marginalised communities of this coastal area suffer the most due to the use of saline water, women and children being the most vulnerable. Kidney problems, skin diseases and uterine problems have also become widespread here. In these coastal areas, there has been a decline in pregnancies while the rate of miscarriages has risen drastically. Day after day, people from coastal regions are suffering from different deadly diseases due to the lack of safe and pure drinking water.

These regions are facing direct damage because of climate change. According to the locals, the salinity of the rivers, ponds, and water bodies in these areas has increased much more than before. As a result, on the one hand, diseases are on the rise, and on the other hand, safe drinking water is barely available. People are forced to use the saline water for all sorts of daily tasks. ‘Water is life’, it is said, and the people of coastal regions like Aklima’s have learned the truth of this proverb the hard way.

Similar to Aklima, a local fisherman’s life has been unbearable because of saline water. His entire family was sick with water-borne diseases. Since he was a fisherman, he would travel far and wide to find fresh water for his family. Once he traveled a long distance in search of fresh water and only found water with slightly less salinity. He spent so much time on that journey that he could not do any other work that day. He had to be content with the water he got for his family.

In every household in the coastal areas, there are similar stories of hardship and struggle for safe drinking water. However, the situation has changed in Chunkuri village. These families now have access to safe drinking water from Energypac’s safe drinking water plant. As part of their CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) initiative in December 2017, the plant started distributing 10,000 liters of clean water daily. Around 300 families in this region, consisting of at least 1200 people, are directly benefitting from this plant every day. So far, over 20 million litres of safe water have been distributed.  

The plant has the capacity to distribute 10,000 liters of water per day. The people of this region are realizing how far-reaching the impact of this plant can be. Saline water-related diseases in these households have decreased. The safe water from the plant is being supplied to nearby schools. Children are our future; ensuring their good health is important for the future. Every few days, people are even traveling from distant areas to collect safe water. Along with providing safe water, Energypac also conducts different health awareness campaigns in the region. In Aklima’s words, “It was very difficult raising my two children. Because of saline water, they suffered from many diseases all throughout the year. Now that I have clean water, my worries are gone. I feel relieved knowing my children will stay healthy.”

The United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6 focuses on ensuring ‘availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.’ It is not possible for any individual, government, or company to achieve this goal alone. However, if everyone contributes from their own place, the target is possible to meet at the right time. Our coastal areas are the most vulnerable to climate change. Providing safe and clean water for the people there deserves commendation.

If we want to ensure a safe future for the next generation, we must begin taking small steps from now on. Through collective efforts, the dream of a happy and prosperous Bangladesh can become a reality.