The water supply in Tangail Municipality is severely inadequate compared to the demand of its residents, leaving a significant portion of the urban population deprived of this basic civic necessity. In Ward 3’s Paschim Akur Takur Para area, resident Raham Ali has had a municipal water connection for over a year, yet water has not been flowing through the line. Despite this, he continues to receive monthly bills.
According to municipal sources, Tangail Municipality currently operates three elevated reservoirs and four water treatment plants. These include a reservoir and two treatment plants in College Para, one reservoir in Bagan Bari, a reservoir and treatment plant in Sabalia, and another treatment plant in Kagmari. There is also a large water tank near the district stadium, which contributes to the overall supply.
Among the 18 wards in the municipality, Wards 2, 4, 8, 9, and 10 have no pipeline connections. Wards 1, 3, 5, 7, 12, 15, and 17 have partial coverage, while Wards 6, 11, 13, 14, 16, and 18, despite being fully connected, experience extremely low water pressure.
Assistant Engineer of the Water Supply Department, A.H.M. Zahangir Alam Khan, stated that although 8,176 connections are registered, only around 4,500 are currently operational. Monthly water bills vary depending on pipe diameter: Tk 250 for 0.5-inch, Tk 600 for 0.75-inch, Tk 1,600 for 1-inch, Tk 3,600 for 1.5-inch, and Tk 7,200 for 2-inch connections. The department operates with 17 permanent staff and 33 daily wage workers.
The supply-demand mismatch is stark. As per June’s official data, the daily water demand stands at 25 million litres, whereas the municipality manages to supply only 9.3 million litres daily—resulting in a shortfall of 15.7 million litres. Although 18 million litres are treated daily, 1.5 million litres are used for backwash processes. The municipality maintains 180 km of water pipelines of various diameters.
Mohammad Rubel Mia, President of environmental group "Safe Life" and a resident of Purbho Adalat Para, said, “The water we receive is dirty and foul-smelling. I’ve disconnected my supply line entirely.”
Tushar Ahmed Labu from Deola stated that they have never received a supply connection. “Piped water should be a basic service from the municipality, but many of us are excluded.”
College lecturer Tarun Yusuf shared that residents frequently complain about insufficient water pressure.
Akur Takur Para resident Raihan Mia pointed out that installing deep tube wells is prohibitively expensive for most families. “We prefer treated water from municipal deep wells, but unfortunately, the supply is not sufficient.”
In response, Tangail Municipality Administrator and Local Government Deputy Director Md Shihab Raihan said, “Upon taking charge, I realised that many areas with high demand lack water supply. I’ve contacted higher authorities, and under the upcoming Inclusive Sanitation Project, due to start later this year, 20 km of new pipelines and four additional treatment plants will be constructed. Once completed, this should resolve the city’s water crisis.”
