Abul Khair Group has installed two solar-powered water purification plants in Satkhira’s coastal Shyamnagar upazila, offering residents of two villages access to treated drinking water amid persistent salinity problems that have forced families to travel long distances to collect freshwater.
Sheikh Shabab Ahmed, head of Corporate Affairs and Legal at Abul Khair Group, inaugurated the reverse osmosis (RO) plants in Khagraghat and Kaikhali villages on Saturday, 17 October, as part of the company’s initiative to address drinking water shortages in coastal communities, the company said in a press release.
One plant has been installed in front of Nur Uddin’s house in Khagraghat, while the other is located in front of Alauddin Mallick’s house in Kaikhali.
For residents of these villages on the edge of the Sundarbans, access to drinking water has long been difficult despite being surrounded by water.
High salinity in local water sources has raised health concerns, including gastrointestinal illnesses, high blood pressure, kidney complications and skin diseases.
Women and girls have borne much of the burden, often travelling long distances to collect water, sometimes at the expense of school attendance.
Rainwater harvesting has provided relief for only two to three months during the monsoon, leaving families dependent on other water sources for the rest of the year. Salinity in soil and pond water increased further following Cyclones Sidr and Aila.
Rahima Begum, 45, a homemaker from Khagraghat, said the new facility had eased a longstanding problem for her family.
“Now, fresh-tasting water flows at the turn of a tap. This technology has given us a new lease on life,” she said.
Rahima said stored rainwater had previously met her family’s needs during the monsoon, but they had to drink saline water during the remaining months. Her children frequently suffered from stomach ailments.
She also said girls in the village had missed school to fetch water from distant sources. With drinking water now available nearby, they would be able to attend school more regularly.
Amena Khatun, a woman in her sixties from Kaikhali, recalled walking two to three miles to collect a single pitcher of freshwater.
“Now that a tap has been installed near our homes, it feels like we have been given a new life,” she said.
Shabab said the severity of the drinking water crisis in coastal communities had prompted the company to support the initiative.
“We wanted to provide a sustainable solution that would directly help protect people’s lives and support children’s growth and development,” he said.
Laboratory tests conducted by the Department of Public Health Engineering’s Khulna Regional Laboratory showed substantial reductions in total dissolved solids (TDS), a measure of dissolved salts and minerals, following treatment.
In Kaikhali, TDS levels fell from 8,217 milligrams per litre in conventional tube-well water to 28 milligrams per litre after treatment.
In Khagraghat, the concentration declined from 4,081 milligrams per litre to 92 milligrams per litre.
Iron concentration in Kaikhali’s water also dropped from 1 milligram per litre to 0.01 milligrams per litre after treatment.
Shyamnagar physician Amjad Hossain said high iron content could turn water reddish and give it a bitter taste, potentially contributing to gastrointestinal problems and dental issues.
He said the reddish colour and bitter taste were no longer evident in the treated water.
The plants use a digital card-based dispensing system designed to minimise water waste. Each local user has been provided with a card that activates the tap when held against it, with water flow stopping once the card is removed.
Each facility is equipped with 10 solar panels to power its pumps, reducing reliance on the rural electricity grid and helping lower operating costs.
The solar-powered system is also intended to maintain a more reliable water supply during electricity outages.
Beyond improving water access, the initiative has created employment and entrepreneurial opportunities for local young people.
Members of Shyamnagar-based Shorub Youth Club operate the plants, with local youths involved in maintenance, water distribution and daily operations.
The project is also intended to reduce the time women spend collecting water and ease the burden on girls whose schooling has been affected by the need to fetch water.
Improved access to treated drinking water may help reduce health risks associated with prolonged exposure to saline water, including concerns relating to women’s reproductive health.
The initiative seeks to improve health, education and living conditions in the two coastal communities while using renewable energy and local participation to support the operation of the plants.
