Mocha aftermath: St Martin, Shah Pori islanders reel under drinking water crisis

Residents of St Martin's Island and Shahpari Island are grappling with an acute crisis of drinking water due to the ingress of saline water caused by Mocha, with 2,000 people still remaining homeless, five days after the cyclonic storm. 

The cyclonic storm that crossed through the coast on 14 May left most of the tube wells on the two islands damaged. Currently, water can be drawn by nearly half of the remaining tube wells, which are salty and unsafe, said residents.  

"The main problem on the island after Mocha is a shortage of drinking water. Most of the tube wells have been destroyed. The water drawn from some tube wells is salty. The island's water was never salty before. Now it is necessary to install new tube wells," Khorshed Alam, a member of the St Martin's Union Parishad, told The Business Standard on Thursday.

"Initiatives are being taken by the union parishad to set up new tube wells," he added.

"The affected people of the island received various food items including dry food, rice and pulses as relief. However, the families whose houses were destroyed [in the cyclone] have not yet been able to build houses," he added.

Teknaf Upazila Nirbahi Officer Md Kamruzzaman said, "Initially, various materials including 400 bundles of tins are being sent by trawler for 200 families… It will be sent to all affected in phases. Arrangements are being made through the local chairman to solve the water crisis".

St Martin's Union Parishad Chairman Mujibur Rahman told TBS, "A private company provides electricity to the island through generators. A large number of trees were uprooted by the Mocha and power lines were snapped. It has been requested to restore power as soon as possible. The union parishad will cooperate to this end". 

"The water crisis will be solved to some extent if the water is pumped through motors after restoration of electricity. Now it is necessary to install at least five tube wells on an urgent basis," he added.

The UP chairman further informed that around 1,000 families on St Martin's Island, who lost their homes during the storm, are still under the open sky. Tins are being sent as government assistance for some of the affected. Others urgently need assistance building houses.

Meanwhile, power supply has been restored in most areas of Shahpari Island, except its Jaliapara area, since Wednesday evening.
Jashim Mahmud, a resident of Uttar Para on Shahpari Island, said that they have to go far to collect food and drinking water. 

Although some relief items reached Shahpari Island, aids for building houses have not yet reached there.  As many as 1,000 families are still under the open sky on Shahpari Island.

Sabrang Union Parishad Chairman Nur Hossain told TBS that the water crisis of Shahpari Island needs to be solved on an urgent basis. For this, several new tube wells should be installed. In addition, government assistance is required to build houses for the homeless.

According to Public Health Department Assistant Engineer Abul Manjur, the tube wells previously installed on St Martin's and Shahpari islands are shallow ones. Due to the ingress of saline water caused by Mocha, the groundwater has turned salty, which cannot be consumed.

"Water is still salty due to less rainfall. If the rain continues for a few days, the water will return to its previous level again. At the same time, water will be available from all the tube wells," he added, recommending setting up deep tube wells in these areas.

However, regarding a list of damages caused by the cyclone, Cox's Bazar Additional Deputy Commissioner Bibhishan Kanti Das said that local UNOs along with public representatives are finalising a list of damages caused by the cyclone, which will take a few more days.