Bagerhat Coastal Residents Demand Safe Drinking Water at Morelganj Rally

Residents of Morelganj and Sharankhola upazilas held a civic rally march and dialogue with local authorities on Monday to demand urgent solutions to the severe drinking water crisis in coastal Bagerhat.

Organized by local civil society representatives in collaboration with the Jagarani Chakra Foundation, DMZ and Netz Bangladesh, the event aimed to secure fundamental rights to safe drinking water for disaster-prone coastal communities.

Bagerhat-4 Member of Parliament Md. Abdul Alim attended as the chief guest while Upazila Nirbahi Officer Habibullah chaired the discussion.

Speakers emphasized the extreme hardship caused by high groundwater salinity and the destruction of natural freshwater sources by recurrent natural disasters.

To address the crisis, community leaders presented a set of key demands to the administration, Expansion of household and community rainwater harvesting systems. Re-excavation and proper maintenance of government ponds and public reservoirs. Urgent repair of damaged embankments to prevent saltwater intrusion. Restoration of non-functional Pond Sand Filters (PSFs) and installation of new filtration units. Activation of union-level water management committees alongside routine water quality testing. Allocation of a long-term, climate-resilient water budget for coastal zones.

Local administration officials, youth leaders, media workers and hundreds of residents participated in the rally. Organizers pledged to continue their advocacy until sustainable access to clean drinking water is secured for all coastal households.