The High Court today gave three months to the water resources ministry to decide about declaring four villages in Chattogram as "water-stressed areas" under the Water Act, 2013 as it is not possible to lift water by handpumps or tube wells from their grounds for people's use.
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He said that around 40,000 people are now struggling to source water as they hardly get it from their tube wells. The industries could easily take water from the nearby canal and use it after treatment. But they don t do it. We went to High Court which issued directives to authorities to declare it a Water Scarce Area , and stop the industries from operating until they comply with environment conservation act, he said.
But no directive of HC was implemented by authorities, he added.
HM Manzur, president of a governing body of Charkanai Primary School, said that they were not against the industries. All they want is the industries to follow the law and ensure there s enough water for the locals.