Bagerhat, July 25 (V7N) – The Bangladesh government has launched a major initiative to improve access to safe drinking water in the country's salt-affected coastal region by distributing rainwater storage tanks to vulnerable households.
The programme, funded by the Bangladesh Climate Change Trust Fund (BCCTF), aims to help families in the coastal upazilas of Rampal and Mongla preserve rainwater for drinking, where groundwater is heavily affected by salinity.
The distribution programme was inaugurated on Friday at the Department of Public Health Engineering (DPHE) office premises in Rampal Upazila, Bagerhat District, by State Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Lion Dr Sheikh Faridul Islam.
Among those present were Rampal Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Tamanna Ferdousi, Executive Engineer of the DPHE in Bagerhat Joyanta Mallik, Sub-Assistant Engineer of the DPHE in Rampal Imran Hossain, Officer-in-Charge of Rampal Police Station Md Rajib Al Rashid, Rampal Upazila BNP President Hafizur Rahman Tuhin, and former BNP Member Secretary Kazi Zahidul Islam Zahid.
Addressing the gathering, the State Minister said the government is initially distributing 3,000 rainwater storage tanks among low-income families in Mongla and Rampal, where access to safe drinking water remains a serious challenge due to high salinity.
"As part of this initiative, 82 water tanks were distributed on Friday," he said.
"The coastal region is surrounded by saline water, and there are very few reliable sources of freshwater. These tanks will enable families to harvest and store rainwater for drinking and household use," he added.
The minister said the programme will be expanded in phases under the Climate Change Trust Fund, with the goal of providing rainwater storage tanks to every household in the affected coastal communities.
He also announced that the government plans to renovate all public ponds in the area and convert them into freshwater reservoirs to help meet local drinking water needs.
"Since even tube-well water is saline in many parts of the region, these ponds will serve as important sources of safe drinking water. Fish farming will not be permitted in the renovated ponds to ensure water quality is preserved," he said.
The initiative is part of Bangladesh's broader efforts to strengthen climate resilience and improve water security for communities on the front line of rising sea levels and increasing salinity driven by climate change.
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