Delayed Water Tank Distribution Worsens Water Crisis in Paikgachha

The Department of Public Health Engineering (DPHE) is running a project to distribute 3,000-liter water tanks to ensure safe drinking water in Paikgachha Upazila. Under Package 16, many beneficiaries were listed to receive these tanks. As a prerequisite, concrete platforms (bhits) were constructed by the government or under local supervision to hold the heavy tanks.

However, residents report that while their platforms were completed over a year and a half ago, most are still waiting for the tanks. Because these platforms have sat empty in the harsh, salty coastal weather, many are now cracking and degrading. This prolonged delay has sparked local criticism of the government initiative.

As a coastal region, Paikgachha faces a severe shortage of safe drinking water. The extended wait has fueled public anger and frustration. Locals fear that further delays will render the constructed platforms completely useless, resulting in a waste of public funds. Residents are urgently demanding the immediate distribution of their allocated tanks to resolve the water crisis and save the existing infrastructure.

Upazila Public Health Engineer Prashant Pal attributed the delay to the contractor's financial difficulties, which also slowed down work in other upazilas. He stated that the remaining tanks will be distributed in phases to all pending beneficiaries starting in the first week of July.