Wasa water crisis deepens in Dhaka's Ibrahimpur, residents moving away

Highlights:

• Ibrahimpur faces weeks-long water shortage, families forced out
• Taps dry; residents rely on bottled and midnight water
• Schools disrupted; madrasa suspends classes due to crisis
• Road digging blocks water trucks, worsening local shortages
• Tenants leaving; homeowners installing costly or illegal tubewells
• Wasa blames falling groundwater; permanent solution may take years

A prolonged water crisis in the capital's Ibrahimpur area has pushed many residents to abandon their homes, as taps have run dry for weeks, forcing families to buy bottled water and depend on a limited night-time supply from Dhaka Wasa.

On Kamal Khan Road alone, home to over 50 residential buildings, at least 15 families have already moved away in the past two months due to the water crisis, while "To-Let" signs now hang on more than half of the buildings. Locals say the water shortage has made daily life "unlivable."

"I had lived in this area for nearly five years, but in the end, I was forced to leave," said Shirajul Islam, who recently shifted his family. "We had to buy bottled water just to cook and bathe. It was no longer possible to live with such a severe shortage."

The crisis, residents say, is not limited to Kamal Khan Road. Several neighbourhoods, including Poolpar, Habibullah Road, Geda Madbor Road, Sonali Bank Road, Eidgah Road, and Ibrahimpur Bazaar, are facing similar hardships.

Water is often available only for a few hours at night. "For the past five days, water hasn't been coming regularly. It comes around midnight and lasts until 8 am. We have to store it for the day," said Happy Akter, who lives in Poolpar.

Others said the shortage has disrupted schooling. Abdur Rahim, from Darul Qur'an Cadet Madrasa, told The Business Standard, "We've had to stop afternoon classes for the past two months because of the crisis. Now we're going to close for another week."

Building caretakers and homeowners reported tenants moving out en masse. Fazlul Haque, a resident of Kamal Khan Road, said, "At least 12 families have already left. We had to install a deep tube well, and our water bill has shot up to Tk1,000."

Road digging worsens crisis

Residents of Kamal Khan Road are facing severe water shortages as prolonged road digging by the Dhaka North City Corporation blocks water truck access.

Liza Begum told TBS, "Dhaka water trucks haven't been able to enter for two months due to the digging, creating more problems."

A worker explained that delays were caused by rain and other issues. Many residents are risking travel on unfinished roads or installing illegal deep tubewells to meet household water needs.

One homeowner said, "Without water, we had no choice but to install deep tubewells. There's no other solution."

Frustrated locals said repeated appeals to Wasa and landlords have failed to bring relief. Many fear the exodus of tenants will continue unless an immediate solution is implemented.

"I'm worried about when the rest of my tenants will leave," said Mahmud Islam, a house owner. "Already four families in nearby buildings have moved out in the last month."

What does Dhaka Wasa say?

Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (Wasa) officials acknowledged the crisis, attributing it to declining groundwater levels.

Md Ershadul Haque, executive engineer (MODS Zone-10), said Ibrahimpur has around 10,000 holdings housing several thousand families, most of whom are dependent on underground water. 

"The population has increased sharply, but the groundwater level has fallen drastically, leaving pumps unable to meet demand," he said.

Authorities have so far struggled to resolve the prolonged water crisis. The area has four pump stations, each running two pumps, but the declining groundwater level has drastically reduced water flow, he added.

Engr AKM Shahid Uddin, deputy managing director (Operation and Maintenance) of Dhaka Wasa, noted that Ibrahimpur has the lowest groundwater level in Dhaka, currently at 98 metres below the surface. "To ease the crisis, we are supplying water from the Gandhabpur Water Treatment Plant," he said.

Authorities added that the long-delayed pipeline connection work—stalled earlier due to lack of permission for road excavation—is now in progress. However, they cautioned that a permanent solution will require one to two years, as new pump installations and expansion of surface water supply lines are necessary.