The groundwater level in Charfesson upazila has dropped significantly during the ongoing dry season, leaving hundreds of tube wells across the municipal area and 21 unions unable to extract water.

Many tube wells are producing only minimal amounts of water, causing severe disruptions in household activities and leaving residents in distress.

According to experts, extreme heat has dried up most ponds and canals, while the unauthorized use of submersible deep tube wells for irrigating paddy fields has further depleted the groundwater. As a result, the shortage of safe drinking water has worsened. Moreover, there are no regulations in place to manage groundwater extraction, putting additional pressure on shallow tube wells.

Previously, groundwater could be accessed at depths of 20 to 30 feet. However, it is now unavailable even at 30 to 35 feet. More than 5,000 tube wells in the upazila are producing very little water. Investigations reveal that 10,073 hand-operated tube wells have been installed in the area, of which 9,851 are functional, while 222 have become inoperative. So far, 28 tube wells have been repaired, according to the Upazila Public Health Office. However, unofficial reports suggest that the actual number of installed tube wells is nearly four times higher.

A visit to villages in Jinagor, Aslampur, Nilkomol, Hazariganj, Omarpur, and Kolmi unions revealed that many tube wells had become inoperative. Some wells that previously provided limited water have now completely dried up. Residents reported that while they had been experiencing reduced water flow for weeks, their tube wells have now stopped working entirely.

Local tube well installer Haji Idris Mia stated that groundwater was typically available at depths of 20 to 24 feet, but now it can only be found between 32 and 40 feet, and even then, the supply remains insufficient.

Officials from the Upazila Public Health Engineering Department confirmed that most tube wells in Charfesson are installed privately without following the required design standards. Additionally, government regulations prohibit the installation of deep tube wells within one kilometer of each other, but this rule is largely ignored.

The Upazila Agriculture Office reported that there are approximately 170 government-approved deep tube wells and 7,921 shallow tube wells. However, the number of privately installed deep and shallow tube wells is estimated to be four times higher.

Officials from the Public Health Engineering Department and the Water Development Board attribute the crisis to a lack of rainfall for nearly eight months, which has caused natural water sources to dry up. A recent light rainfall failed to replenish these sources. Excessive groundwater extraction for irrigating paddy fields and rising temperatures have exacerbated the problem. Additionally, the encroachment and filling of rivers have disrupted natural water flow, further contributing to the drop in groundwater levels.

Arif Hossain, a sub-assistant engineer at the Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC) in Charfesson, stated that his office does not authorize submersible pumps for groundwater extraction. Instead, BADC operates 82 irrigation pumps to draw water from canals for agricultural use. Additionally, 1,718 privately owned irrigation pumps are used to lift water from canals to farmland. However, farmers in areas without canals or with dried-up canals often resort to using unauthorized submersible pumps to extract groundwater for irrigation. While the exact number of illegal submersible pumps remains unknown, unofficial estimates suggest that around 100 unauthorized deep tube wells exist in the upazila.

Kamal Hossain, a sub-assistant engineer at the Upazila Public Health Engineering Department, stated that while there is no precise record of the number of private or individually installed tube wells in the upazila, official records indicate that there are 16,000 deep and 17,000 shallow government-approved tube wells. He emphasized the need for public awareness regarding water usage and adherence to government regulations for installing tube wells. To maintain the groundwater level, he recommended river dredging and stricter enforcement of rules governing deep tube well installations.