Water crisis deepens in Pirganj as Tk 20cr project hits a snag

Around 15,000 residents of Pirganj Municipality in Rangpur are enduring severe hardship after their clean water supply was cut off following the breakdown of three pumps installed under a Tk 20-crore project.

The pumps, set up by the Department of Public Health Engineering as part of its Water Supply and Environmental Sanitation System Improvement initiative during the 2021–22 fiscal year, stopped working some 15 days ago. Since then, households have been left without access to safe water for drinking, cooking and other daily needs.

Many families have been forced to purchase bottled water, spending Tk 50–60 a day, an amount that is especially burdensome for low-income earners. Those unable to afford bottled supplies are now at risk of contracting waterborne diseases.

Frustration has mounted among residents, who accuse the municipal authorities of failing to resolve the crisis promptly. Allegations of corruption linked to the water project have also surfaced.

Locals allege that the former mayor, Tajimul Islam Shamim, reportedly on the run since the collapse of the previous government, and a public health assistant engineer, Al Mamun, benefited financially from the scheme.

The three pumps were installed in 2022 at different locations: one on land owned by former councillor Saheb Ali near the Pirganj bus stand in Osmanpur Mouza; another in Sonakantar Mouza on land belonging to Lal Mia, said to be a close associate of the fugitive mayor; and a third in front of the Garabed Jame Mosque.

Since their installation, the system has only delivered clean water for about four months. On August 27, the supply abruptly ceased again, leaving large parts of the municipality dry.

“We can’t cook or wash properly. We have to buy drinking water from shops at high prices,” said a resident of Ward 4.

Similar grievances have been reported from Wards 5 and 8, which are among the hardest hit areas.

Municipal Executive Officer Abdur Rahim explained that the pumps had developed leaks in several places, forcing the authorities to suspend the supply. 

He also noted that overdue water bills had slowed repair efforts.

“Despite the challenges, we are trying to restore the water supply as soon as possible,”

he said.

Meanwhile, locals continue to urge immediate intervention, warning that the prolonged shortage could escalate into a public health crisis.