Fear of Water Scarcity in Narayanganj Region

Staff Correspondent:
A workshop was held in Narayanganj under the Ministry of Water Resources,
organized by the Water Resources Planning Organization (WARPO), to verify the
accuracy of data collected from the Upazila-level participatory rural water resource
surveys. Experts expressed concern that due to the continuous depletion of
groundwater, the Narayanganj region may face severe water shortages in the
future. The workshop took place on Monday (24 November) at 11 a.m. in the
conference room of the Narayanganj Sadar Upazila Parishad.
The event was presided over by Narayanganj Sadar Upazila Nirbahi Officer
(UNO) Taslima Shirin. The chief guest was Additional Secretary of the Ministry of
Water Resources, Abdus Samad. Also present were Engineer Foysal Mehdi,
Upazila Engineer Yasir Arafat Rubel, PIO Pabitra Mondol Chandra, along with
other officials and public representatives of the upazila.
The discussion focused on the proper implementation of the Water Act 2013 and
the verification of data obtained from participatory rural surveys on water
availability across ten districts of Bangladesh’s north-central hydrological zone.
It has been reported that groundwater levels in several areas of
Narayanganj—including Gognagar, Boktabali, Kutubail, and Shibumarket—have
dropped to alarming depths. Over the past ten years, the level has fallen by more
than 100 feet, and by 2025 it has reached below 151 feet. The situation in Fatullah,
Rupganj, and Sonargaon is similar. Last year, safe drinking water in Enayetnagar
Union was found at a depth of 175 feet; this year it requires drilling 13 feet deeper,
reaching 188 feet.
In Fatullah Union, the groundwater table has dropped by 8 feet compared to last
year. Where safe water was once found at 190 feet, it is now at 198 feet. In
Kashipur, the water level has fallen by 6 feet within a year and is currently at 171
feet. In Gognagar Union, the level has fallen 2 feet to 142 feet. In Alirtek and
Boktabali Unions, the water table has dropped by 1 foot and now stands at 106
feet.
Additional Secretary Abdus Samad said that groundwater in the Narayanganj
region is declining steadily every day. “The situation has reached a point where we
may one day run out of water entirely,” he warned. He emphasized the urgent need
to prevent water wastage and to raise awareness through meetings and public
gatherings to stop water pollution.