Water everywhere and not a drop to drink!


OUR CORRESPONDENTS | Published: September 03, 2021 10:00:44 | Updated: September 03, 2021 18:43:26


Water around Jamlabaj Government Primary School in Tahirpur upazila in Sunamganj —FE Photo

Jamlabaj Government Primary School in Tahirpur upazila of Sunamganj district goes under water. Students suffer for want of pure drinking water, especially during the monsoon.

Meanwhile, the official activities of Moyurerchar Government Primary School (MGPS) under Sariakandi upazila in Bogura have been disrupted severely, causing agony for school authority and guardians, simultaneously.

Our Sylhet Correspondent reports: Built on concrete pillars on a low land, Jamlabaj Government Primary School in Tahirpur upazila of Sunamganj district goes under water during the monsoon. It is the only school for children from neighbouring villages who attend by boat mostly. But, they suffer much due to the absence of any source of pure drinking water.

The school authority and guardians have demanded the immediate sinking of a tubewell near the school building. Normally, arranging pure drinking water is a major problem in the haor areas during the monsoon as most of the neighbourhoods go under water.

An official said a tubewell was sunk on the school premises by the Public Health Engineering Department (DPHE) in 2009. But, it remained inoperative. The school authority failed to make it operational even spending money time and again.

The school managing committee sources informed that although the schooling remained shut for long amid the Covid-19 situation, the teachers often have to attend the school regularly. The children will suffer if the water source is not set on the school premises immediately, they added.

Headmaster of the school Rakhi Rani Dey said, "We didn't find water regularly from the tubewell since the inception of its installation. We failed to get it operational even on spending some good amount of money. It's of no use by now".

Upazila Primary Education Officer Mohammad Abu Sayeed said, "The school needs some amenities including water urgently".

Upazila Parishad Chairman Karuna Sindhu Chowdhury Babul said the school would soon get a tubewell.

Our Bogura Correspondent says: Due to prolonged flood official activities of Moyurerchar Government Primary School (MGPS) under Sariakandi upazila in Bogura and other schools have been disrupted.

Though the classes of the schools are suspended for a long time due to corona pandemic across the country, the official activities have been kept open as per the order of the education ministry.

The teachers of MGPS are quite unable to perform the official duties as their school building has been inundated by floodwater.

Due to rising water in the Jamuna many villages and educational institutions and mosques in different areas of the district have gone under water.

As water has entered the school building the furniture as well as school documents have been damaged, said the headmaster of the school. In order to avoid this hassle, the school authority has started shifting furniture but failed for various reasons.

The water level of the Jamuna River in Sariakandi, Sonatola, and Dhunot upazilas have risen due to heavy rain and water rolling down from the upper reaches for the last few days. The overall flood situation in the district has deteriorated as new areas have been flooded as a result of continued water rise.

According to the district education office, flood water has entered more than a hundred primary schools in the district. As a result, the official activities have been disrupted severely, causing agony among the school authority and guardians.

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