We are alarmed by the rapid decline in groundwater levels across the country, particularly in Dhaka, Gazipur, and the Barind region, due to excessive extraction. According to reports, residents on the city's outskirts are facing acute shortages of fresh water, primarily due to WASA's ineffective management of groundwater. The crisis is particularly severe in areas like Vakurta, Baherchar, Battoli Bazar, Balughata, and Bauta, where numerous pumps installed by WASA about a decade ago have contributed to the depletion of groundwater. As a result, around 20,000 hand-operated tube wells have dried up entirely. Residents of these areas now struggle to access water, with their tube wells yielding water only during the rainy season and remaining dry throughout the rest of the year.

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Where will depleting groundwater leave us?

The rapid decline in groundwater levels, however, is not confined to the above-mentioned areas—it has impacted numerous other regions across the country, making crop cultivation increasingly challenging. Clearly, this situation has arisen due to our excessive reliance on groundwater and the lack of attention to alternative water sources. A 2022 study analysed 40 years of data from 465 shallow groundwater monitoring wells of the Bangladesh Water Development Board. It examined groundwater usage and levels during the dry season and revealed that due to extensive water usage, the groundwater level in two-thirds of the country is declining. In many areas, including Dhaka, the groundwater levels have fallen by an average of one to three meters.

For instance, groundwater levels in Godagari, Rajshahi, which were previously recharged to 16-18 meters during the rainy season in the 1980s, have not surpassed 16 meters since 2010. Due to a lack of water, the Barind Multipurpose Development Authority (BMDA) has limited Boro rice cultivation this year in eight upazilas across three districts of the Barind region—Rajshahi, Chapainawabganj, and Naogaon. In Kaliganj, Gazipur, the groundwater recharge levels have dropped from 6 meters in 1990 to 3 meters since 2015. In Dohar, Dhaka, recharge decreased from 4 meters to 3 meters by 2015.

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New leadership, old rivers, and the long road to clean water

The question is, what can the government do now to recharge the groundwater levels across the country, especially in the capital, where 70 percent of the water supply comes from underground sources? Our water experts provided solutions long ago: minimise groundwater extraction and utilise water from nearby rivers instead. Unfortunately, two crucial projects—the Sayedabad Water Treatment Plant (Phase-3) and the Meghna River Protection Master Plan—aimed at reducing the city's excessive dependence on groundwater, have been stalled for nearly a decade. The government must prioritise and expedite their implementation. Furthermore, it should consider various other methods, suggested by experts, for artificial groundwater recharging. Without immediate action, groundwater levels in Dhaka's densely populated areas could plummet to 100 meters by 2050. Therefore, the government needs to take urgent action to address the issue.