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SYLHET: The people of greater Sylhet district face acute crisis of pure drinking water as about 91,672 tube-wells have been submerged by floodwaters in Sylhet and Sunamganj districts.
According to latest estimate, about 91,672 tube-wells and 279,105 latrines were badly affected as those went under water during devastating floods in the Sylhet region.
Over 80 per cent of the tube-wells installed by the government had gone under water in Sylhet and Sunamganj districts. Also, 20 per cent tube-wells of Department of Public Health Engineering (DPHE) in Moulvibazar and Habiganj districts went under water.
Superintending Engineer of DPHE, Sylhet region Sheikh Sadi Rahmatullah said, "About 80 per cent of the government-installed tube-wells went under water. A total of 91,672 tube-wells and 279,105 latrines were affected badly."
Of them, 27,582 are in Sylhet, 49,033 in Sunamganj, 5,159 in Habiganj and 9,818 in Moulvibazar.
The number of privately-installed tube-wells in the districts would be much higher than the government ones, he said, adding that 50,000 of them had been submerged by floodwaters.
The official further said a total of 3,134,500 water purifying tablets and 12,827 jars had been distributed in the flood-hit region. In the Sylhet City Corporation area, 240,000 water purifying tablets were also distributed among dwellers. As polluted water and sand entered a good number of tube-wells, these might have to be replaced, he said.
So far, DPHE managed to repair 1,544 tube-wells and 1,618 were disinfected. Of the water purification tablets, 1,178,000 were given in Sylhet while 1,300,000 in Sunamganj, 1,001,000 in Habiganj and 85,000 in Moulvibazar.
By setting up 13 makeshift water treatment plants, people were given water treatment facilities in the flood-hit areas. Of them, five were set up in Sylhet and Sunamganj districts each apart from two in Sylhet city corporation areas.
On the other hand, 12,151 jars were supplied for storing pure drinking water in the flood-hit areas. It includes 7,071 in Sylhet, 5,000 in Sunamganj, 80 in Moulvibazar and 112 in Habiganj.
As many as 279,105 latrines were affected. Of them, 147,799 are in Sylhet, 104,433 in Sunamganj, 16,637 in Moulvibazar and 10,236 in Habiganj.