Hundreds of 'Death Wells' scattered across Barind fields

The water crisis in the Barind region has no end in sight, but now, poorly planned well drilling is rapidly turning into a serious humanitarian risk. Across vast tracts of farmland in Rajshahi, Naogaon and Chapainawabganj, hundreds of abandoned deep tube wells and test bores lie exposed, silently turning into deadly traps. The recent tragic death of two-year-old Sajid in Tanore Upazila has once again highlighted the grave danger posed by these unprotected boreholes.

In the Barind tract, the groundwater table generally lies between 130 and 150 feet below the surface. In some areas, water is not found even at depths of 200 feet. As the water table continues to decline every year, installing new tube wells has become increasingly difficult. Multiple test borings are often carried out in search of water. When drilling encounters rock layers or fails to reach an adequate aquifer, the bore is abandoned. Most of these test bores are left open, without being sealed or filled.

According to the Barind Multipurpose Development Authority (BMDA), around 16,000 deep tube wells have been installed by the government in the region. In contrast, the number of privately operated deep tube wells exceeds 20,000. In addition, thousands of unauthorised deep and shallow tube wells are in operation. Nearly 70 per cent of groundwater, used for irrigation in the Barind region, is extracted from privately owned wells.

Field visits to different areas of Tanore Upazila in Rajshahi reveal that almost every agricultural field contains one or more abandoned boreholes. Some protrude two to three feet above the ground with open mouths, while others appear as narrow yet dangerously deep holes. In the Koelhat Purba Para fields, operational and defunct tube wells stand side by side. It was in one such abandoned borehole that Sajid fell to his death. Several other open boreholes were found along the road leading to his home.

Local residents say that a beel may contain as many as 25 to 30 abandoned boreholes. None of them have been properly filled or marked with warning signs. Amid children's play and daily farming activities, these holes pose a constant risk of fatal accidents.

People familiar with the issue say water extraction in the Barind region has become a profitable business. A single semi-deep tube well can irrigate 30 to 40 bighas of land, generating profit margins of over 70 per cent. This has fuelled a race to install tube wells without proper permission. In many cases, old semi-deep tube wells are removed and reinstalled elsewhere - a process known locally as "re-boring". The old boreholes, however, are often left behind in the fields.

Hundreds of such abandoned boreholes are scattered across Godagari and Tanore in Rajshahi, Nachole and Sadar in Chapainawabganj, and Niamatpur, Porsha and Sapahar in Naogaon. These holes typically have diameters of 8 to 12 inches, making them especially dangerous for children. Sajid's death is the most tragic example of this hidden menace.

Experts warn that unless all abandoned boreholes are urgently identified and permanently sealed or filled, similar tragedies will continue to occur. They stress the need for legal obligations to close abandoned bores, stricter monitoring of privately owned tube wells, and greater accountability of upazila irrigation committees. Regular monitoring with active participation from local communities is also essential.

Alamgir Hossain, a resident of Tanore, said there are 25 to 30 abandoned boreholes in his area alone. "None of them have been properly filled. Accidents can happen at any time," he said.

Advocate Hossain, another local resident, explained that groundwater in the Barind region lies at great depths.

He said sometimes drilling has to go down to 130 feet. In many cases, rock layers appear at around 70 feet or more. Even if water is found, the well becomes unusable after five to seven years. Once these wells are abandoned, they are not permanently closed. Public awareness and strict monitoring by the authorities are urgently needed.

Under the Bangladesh Water Act 2013, groundwater is a state-owned resource, and permission is mandatory for extraction. However, the law does not clearly mandate the permanent sealing or filling of abandoned boreholes. Exploiting this legal loophole, unprotected deep holes continue to spread across the region.

On December 10, two-year-old Sajid fell into an abandoned deep tube well borehole in Koelhat Purba Para village of Pachandar union in Tanore. After a 32-hour rescue operation, firefighters excavated nearly 40 feet of soil to retrieve him, but he was declared dead. The incident sent shockwaves across the entire Barind region.

BMDA Superintending Engineer Nazirul Islam said each upazila has an irrigation committee chaired by the Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO), and permission is mandatory for installing any deep tube well. Despite this, the tendency to install private tube wells without approval is increasing. Some individuals misuse electricity connections obtained for households or farms to operate irrigation pumps. Our jurisdiction over unauthorised wells is limited.

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