Mehedee Hasan Sohel, Gazipur
From time immemorial, there has been a severe shortage of potable water for drinking in the Bhawal area of Gazipur. Well clear water. In the regional language this well is called Indara. Due to the lack of drinking water, the people of this region used to dig deep wells or indaras. They used to collect water from canals, beels, rivers and ponds.
But in course of time, the only source of potable water in the Bhawal region has disappeared, which is now just a memory. Wells are no longer seen in the neighborhoods or in the houses.
As time goes on, it is noticeable that the wheel of the economy has returned to normalcy thanks to the generation of the nineties, and perhaps happiness has increased. Especially a part of the expatriate workers and the country-wide industrialization means that the lives of the common people have been touched by the change, but the ancient tradition has been lost from the heart of the Bhawal region and rural Bengal.
Earlier in the afternoon, every mother and sister of rural Bengal used to fetch water from the well in the evening with a pitcher on their waists. In course of time, that fascinating scene is no longer seen. In the age of information technology, people have come a long way. Now, in rural areas as well as in cities, water is pumped from deep soil with the help of electric machines.
Meanwhile, wells are still found in some rural areas of Bhawal region. Wells can still be seen in different villages including Kamargaon, Jamb, Vikartek, Aral, Sanmania of Kapasia upazila of Gazipur district, Sadar upazila, Telihati of Sreepur upazila, Marta, Kaliganj and Kaliakair upazila. But they are no longer used as they were used before.
However, a well was seen in Mollah Para of Kamargaon village of Kapasia upazila. The well there is still unprotected, having tube wells to pump water from the well in the summer for various purposes. However, this water is used for all other purposes except drinking water.
This is because the water level in the Bhawal area usually falls much lower than normal in the summer. Due to unplanned water abstraction across the country, tube wells and submersible pumps are also at risk if the water level drops far below normal. They will be witnesses of the lost time.