Bangladesh is one of the most densely populated countries in the world. It has more than 1,000 people per square kilometer. Bangladesh water wells are urgently needed for clean water.

Sufferings of People

Three-quarters of the people live in rural areas, where things like running water and clean toilets are often considered luxuries. Bangladesh has one of the fastest rates of urbanization in Asia. Most of the 7 million people live in urban slums. Their numbers are growing quickly. They don’t have access to clean water, toilets, waste disposal systems, or sewer drainage.

The rural poor and people living in urban slums often have to drink and cook with unprotected surface water. Because they don’t have access to water supply infrastructure like tube wells and pipes.

World Bank’s Agglomeration Index is an alternative measure of urban concentration.  According to them, a lot of urbanization in Bangladesh is not included in official definitions and statistics. With poor WASH coverage and community awareness, an undercounted rural population moving to cities poses a high risk of disease outbreaks.

UMR’s funded project has given 112 deep, semi-deep, and shallow tube wells to 4,304 rural and urbanizing beneficiaries. And conducted beneficiary sensitization training on water safety, benefits of safe water, personal/environmental hygiene and maintenance of wells.

Beneficiary Feedback for Our Project

Below are the most common examples of beneficiary feedback, indicative of the general living conditions of the recipient population:

1. Traveling long distances for water and spread of water-borne disease:

[S.J.] (Aged 52) is a marginal farmer. His family comprises 6 members: “We collected safe water from a far distance. He said, “We could not install the tube well due to lack of money. Most people in this area have been suffering from water-borne diseases for a long time. The people of this area are very poor. […] After the field survey, UMR installed a new shallow tube well. Now we are getting safe water for drinking and domestic uses.” 

2. Use of unprotected, unimproved surface water and spread of water-borne disease:

[A.S.] (aged 38) is a Rickshaw Puller. His family consists of 7 members. He said “We could not install the tube well due to lack of money. We used pond water. Most of the people in this area have been suffering from water-borne diseases for a long time. We were collecting water from a far distance. The people of this area are very poor. After the field visit, UMR installed a new shallow tube well. Now we are getting pure water for drinking and domestic uses.” 6

3. Water available only in neighboring villages, and the spread of water-borne disease:

[M. A. H.] (age-55) is a poor mer. He said, “We had no tube well before this tube well was installed. The people of this area are very poor. We were collecting drinking water from the neighboring villages. Most people in this area have been suffering from water-borne diseases for a long time. We could not install the tube well due to a shortage of funds. After the field survey, UMR installed a new shallow tube well. So, we are pleased. Now we are getting fresh water for drinking and domestic uses.”

For more information:

• UNICEF (2012) Bangladesh SHEWA-B Factsheet.
• UNICEF (2012) Bangladesh SHEWA-B Factsheet.
• UNICEF (2012) Bangladesh SHEWA-B Factsheet.
• World Bank (2015) Bangladesh Country Brief.

Recorded by Muhammad Kotha Wala 7846 – July 2015. Address of the beneficiary: Upazila: Bagharpara, District: Jessore.

Recorded by Hadia Hamuri 7296 – July 2015. Address of the beneficiary: Upazila: Bagharpara, District: Jessore.

Recorded by Abul Azad 9029 – July 2015. Address of the beneficiary: Upazila: Jessore Sadar, District: Jessore.