SOS Children’s Villages Bangladesh and Eastern Bank PLC (EBL) have installed 16 solar-powered deep tube-well facilities in the salinity-hit coastal districts of Khulna and Bagerhat to improve access to safe drinking water for communities facing chronic freshwater shortages.
The facilities were inaugurated recently in Batiaghata upazila of Khulna and are expected to provide safe drinking water to about 12,500 people directly and more than 20,000 indirectly, according to a press release. EBL supported the initiative as its climate action partner by financing the project.
The tube wells have been installed in Batiaghata and parts of Bagerhat, where saline intrusion has made groundwater unsuitable for drinking despite the region’s extensive river network. Many households rely on distant or unsafe water sources, with women and children bearing most of the burden of collecting water.
Each facility comprises a deep tube well, a submersible pump, an elevated water storage tank and a solar-powered pumping system. The solar-powered design enables the facilities to operate without depending on grid electricity, providing a more reliable and cost-effective supply of safe drinking water in remote coastal communities.
The project is expected to reduce waterborne diseases, ease the time and effort required to collect water and strengthen communities’ resilience to climate change. Improved access to safe drinking water is also expected to enhance children’s health and school attendance while allowing families to devote more time to education, livelihoods and caregiving.
The facilities were inaugurated in the presence of Khulna-1 Member of Parliament Amir Ejaz Khan, SOS Children’s Villages Bangladesh National Director Md Enamul Haque and Eastern Bank Company Secretary Md Abdullah Al Mamun, along with local government representatives, community leaders and residents.
“Ensuring access to safe drinking water for climate-vulnerable coastal communities is a matter of national concern,” Amir Ejaz Khan said, adding that the initiative would make a meaningful difference to thousands of families.
Md Enamul Haque said reliable access to safe drinking water would improve children’s health, reduce the burden on women and strengthen the resilience of vulnerable families.
Hassan O Rashid, managing director and CEO of Eastern Bank, said the partnership translates the bank’s sustainability commitment into practical climate action by improving access to safe drinking water and helping coastal communities better withstand the impacts of climate change.
