Residents across large parts of Pirojpur are struggling to access safe drinking water, forcing many to rely on untreated water from rivers, canals and ponds despite the health risks.

The shortage has left thousands vulnerable to waterborne diseases, with many reporting repeated illnesses after consuming water from unsafe natural sources.

Located in the coastal belt, Pirojpur is heavily affected by salinity, particularly during the dry season, making freshwater increasingly scarce. People in Zianagar, Mathbaria, Pirojpur Sadar, Nazirpur and Bhandaria upazilas are among the worst affected.

According to the Pirojpur office of the Department of Public Health Engineering (DPHE), the government has distributed around 36,000 rainwater harvesters and established more than 70 reverse osmosis (RO) plants to improve access to safe drinking water. However, residents say the facilities are far from sufficient to meet demand. Some entrepreneurs have also set up RO plants on a commercial basis to help address the crisis.

Shahjahan Faraji, a resident of Char Baleshwar village in Zianagar upazila, said his family has no option but to drink water collected from canals and ponds.

“Many people suffer from different waterborne diseases after drinking this water,” he said, adding that the problem could be addressed by ensuring reliable sources of safe drinking water.

In Chandipur village of Zianagar upazila, Faruk Sikder said members of his family frequently fall ill, particularly with dysentery, after drinking water from natural sources.

Another resident, Kohinur Begum, said although there are a few tube wells in the village, not all of them provide safe drinking water.

“So, we are forced to drink unsafe water,” she said, adding that they use potassium alum in an attempt to make the water cleaner. Sometimes they also boil the water, but that is not always possible.

Resident Monir Sheikh said rainwater harvesters are an effective means of collecting and storing rainwater.

“However, there are not enough rainwater harvesters in our village,” he said, adding that supplying more would help ensure safe drinking water for many more people.

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Locals said there are several reverse osmosis (RO) plants in different areas where purified water is available for purchase.

“But it is not affordable for everyone, especially working-class people,” said Shahjahan Hossain Sheikh.

He added that for more than three months each year, beginning in the Bangla month of Falgun (mid-February), water in rivers and canals turns saline, making it unsuitable for drinking.

Dr Suranjit Kumar Saha, a consultant in medicine at Pirojpur Sadar Hospital, said people who consume unsafe water commonly suffer from diarrhoea, typhoid and hepatitis.

“A large proportion of the patients admitted to the hospital are suffering from waterborne diseases,” he said.

Jayanta Sarker, executive engineer of the Department of Public Health Engineering (DPHE) in Pirojpur, said demand for safe drinking water in the district far exceeds the available supply.

He said the World Bank is expected to establish a water treatment plant in Bhandaria, while the Asian Development Bank is expected to construct another for residents of Swarupkathi municipality in Nesarabad upazila.

“People can also preserve rainwater through rainwater harvesters,” he said, adding that the existing number remains insufficient to meet the district’s growing demand for safe drinking water.

Recently, Masood Sayedee, lawmaker from Pirojpur-1, also raised the issue in parliament.