The metro rail came as a blessing for Dhaka residents. In particular, people living in Mirpur had expected to benefit the most from the new transport system. Anticipating easier commuting, many residents from different parts of the capital began renting homes in Mirpur.
However, a severe water crisis is now making daily life difficult for residents of Mirpur. Locals said that they are being forced to struggle for basic civic services. The problem becomes particularly acute during summer, with Shewrapara, Kazipara and surrounding areas facing severe water shortages.
Water crisis continues for one and a half months in Kazipara, Shewrapara
Residents said water crisis varies throughout the year, the situation becomes worst during summer. Many residents have to store water in advance to manage daily needs.
Rafiqul Alam, a resident of Mirpur area, said, “The water problem in Shewrapara is nothing new. You could say we have become used to it. Sometimes dirty water comes through the supply line, and sometimes there is an unpleasant smell. But the main crisis occurs during summer. At that time, we have to store water in tanks and use it.”
Dhaka WASA supplies water to Shewrapara through its pumping stations. Several pumps are located in areas including Anandabazar, WASA Road and City Road. During a visit to the area, it was found that while several pumps were operational, maintenance and repair work was ongoing at some others.
Shewrapara resident Belal Hossain said, “We often see WASA digging roads and carrying out construction work in different lanes of the area. But despite these activities, the water crisis has not been permanently resolved.”
Kazipara resident Rehana Begum said, “Our area has been facing a severe water shortage for nearly one and a half months. We are not getting enough water even for essential daily activities such as bathing and cooking. The situation becomes particularly difficult in the morning when children have to go to school.”
She added, “We are not even receiving basic civic facilities properly. Everyone talks about the benefits of the metro rail, but the water crisis has made normal life extremely difficult.”
WASA blames falling groundwater levels and pump capacity
Dhaka WASA has identified declining groundwater levels, along with maintenance issues, as one of the major reasons behind the water shortage.
Jahangir Alam, a WASA official in Shewrapara, said, “Some level of water crisis occurs every year during summer. People’s water consumption increases during this period. At the same time, groundwater levels fall. As a result, it becomes difficult to supply water according to demand.”
He said, “Work is currently underway on several pumps in Shewrapara. The capacity of pumps declines every few years, making it difficult to extract sufficient water. The situation worsens further during summer as groundwater levels drop.”
He claimed that groundwater levels had started rising slightly with the beginning of rainfall. He also said water supply would improve once the repair work on the pumps was completed.
However, not all areas of Shewrapara and Kazipara are facing the same level of crisis. Speaking to local residents, it was found that areas where new pumps have been installed have relatively normal water supply.
Mohammad Imdadul Haque, executive engineer of Dhaka WASA zone-4, said renovation work on existing deep tube wells was underway to address the crisis.
He said repair work on wells in several areas, including Shewrapara and Kazipara, was nearing completion.
“Once these works are completed, we hope water supply will quickly return to normal in areas currently facing shortages,” he said.
However, he identified the shortage of suitable locations for installing new deep tube wells as a major challenge for the future.
He added that WASA was examining why specific households were facing supply problems based on their locations.
Integrated planning needed for long-term solution
Experts said Dhaka’s water crisis is not merely a supply problem but is linked to unplanned urbanisation, excessive dependence on groundwater and shortcomings in urban planning.
They believed that while temporary measures such as repairing pumps and installing new wells may reduce the crisis, a sustainable solution requires a long-term water management strategy.
Urban planner Iqbal Habib said Dhaka’s water crisis was not a sudden problem but the result of years of unplanned urban management.
He said the shortage of space for new wells could not be used as an excuse, adding that weaknesses in planning and accountability in the water supply system had created the crisis.
He said Dhaka must reduce its excessive dependence on groundwater. As part of a long-term plan, initiatives should be taken to increase the use of treated river water.
He suggested that nearby rivers around Mirpur could be cleaned and used as sources of water supply.
Iqbal Habib said water management must be integrated into urban planning, as unplanned housing development had increased pressure on water resources.
