The crisis of safe drinking water has reached alarming levels in the remote villages under Kurukpata union in Bandarban’s Alikadam upazila. With no permanent source of safe water, residents are being forced to dig holes among pebbles and stones along the banks of the Matamuhuri river to collect water.

The situation has heightened health risks in the area -- particularly the threat of waterborne diseases.

During a recent on-site visit to Sinduk Para area of the upazila, this correspondent saw local resident Ngai Pun Mro, 40, collecting water along the riverbank with her two-year-old child on her lap.

Since the turbid river water is unfit for direct use, she digs a small hole among the pebbles and stones and waits for some time so the water can settle slightly before collecting it, she said.

"I went to work in the jhum field in the morning. When I returned, I saw there was no water at home. Last night's rain made the river water muddy -- it cannot be used for drinking or cooking. The children were crying from hunger. So, I am forced to collect water this way," she added.

At the time, her 14-year-old son, Rengrui Mro, was seen drinking that water from a "tuiya" -- a water container made from a gourd shell. Unaware of how unsafe the water is, the children were quenching their thirst. Local residents said this increases the risk of falling ill with waterborne diseases such as diarrhoea, stomach pain, or jaundice.

The same scene is visible in most remote areas of Kurukpata union, including Poamuhuri, Tonleng Dari Para, Subas Tripura Para, Indumukh Pasoya Para, Maran Para, Langthoin Para, Ruitang Para, Pahar Bhanga Para, Akla, Buji, Langring, Yangring, Mendo, and Bidyamani Para. According to locals, nearly 99 percent of people in these villages have no effective access to safe water. There is no deep tube-well or ring well in these villages.

Many are drinking water directly from streams, springs, or the Matamuhuri river. In some places, stream water is stored in tanks via pipes, but it is used without any form of purification.

According to locals, during the dry season, leaves in the hilly forests fall and decay. When the rainy season arrives, these decomposed leaves mix into streams and springs and flow into the river, contaminating the water. Drinking that water raises the risk of various diseases -- especially among children, adolescents, and pregnant women.

Meanwhile, a measles outbreak has already occurred in the area. According to local sources, over a hundred children have been infected. Among them, 77 are currently undergoing treatment at Alikadam Upazila Health Complex. At the same time, the number of patients with diarrhoea and other waterborne diseases is also rising.

An on-site visit to the upazila health complex revealed that due to a bed shortage, many diarrhoea patients have been temporarily placed in the hospital's corridor and on the stairs.

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Menthab Mro, a member of Mro Youth Organisation, said, “As measles has received more media attention, other diseases are being overshadowed. But in reality, the number of diarrhoea and waterborne disease patients is not negligible. The lack of safe water is a major reason.”

According to the Department of Public Health Engineering (DPHE) of the district, Alikadam upazila has 377 deep tube-wells, one of which is non-functional. Additionally, there are 865 ring wells.

Anupam Dey, executive engineer of DPHE, said, “In the last two years, sufficient deep tube-wells and ring wells have been installed in Alikadam. According to regulations, each village should have at least one. If any village has not received this facility, the matter will be investigated and necessary measures will be taken."

On the other hand, sources at Alikadam Upazila Health Complex confirmed that currently, alongside measles, at least 12 diarrhoea patients are undergoing treatment.

Dr Md Hanif, upazila health and family planning officer, said, “Measles is a highly contagious disease that can quickly spread from one person to an entire family or neighbourhood. Diarrhoea, on the other hand, is primarily a waterborne disease. Drinking unclean and contaminated water increases the risk of contracting it."

Local residents and Mro Youth Organisation have demanded urgent and sustainable safe water supply systems in these remote hilly areas -- warning that the situation could become even more dire if no effective steps are taken soon.