Bangladesh Army Builds 100,000-Liter Water Reservoir to End Long-Standing Water Crisis in Ruma’s Bethel Para

News Desk

The Bangladesh Army has constructed a 100,000-liter water reservoir in Bethel Para of Ruma Upazila in Bandarban, bringing lasting relief to more than 600 residents who have long struggled with an acute shortage of safe drinking water, particularly during the dry season.

For years, access to clean drinking water remained one of the most pressing challenges for the people of Bethel Para. The situation became particularly difficult between November and April, when available water sources would gradually dry up. Villagers, especially women, often had to walk considerable distances through steep and difficult terrain to collect water from a mountain stream.

The hardship was not limited to the inconvenience of carrying water over long distances. During the peak of the dry season, the stream itself would sometimes dry up, leaving residents with few or no reliable sources of drinking water. For a remote hill community, where transportation and access to essential services can already be difficult, the shortage placed an additional burden on everyday life.

Recognizing the severity of the problem, the Bangladesh Army took steps to establish a sustainable solution rather than relying solely on temporary measures. During an earlier visit to the area, the General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the 24 Infantry Division assured local residents that efforts would be undertaken to address their long-standing water crisis permanently.

Following that commitment, and under the guidance of the Bandarban Army Region, Ruma Zone initiated the construction of a 100,000-liter-capacity water reservoir at Bethel Para. The project was implemented with the active participation and supervision of Army personnel and local residents and was completed within a relatively short period.

The newly constructed reservoir has already begun changing the daily lives of the villagers. Residents and people travelling through the area can now collect water more easily, eliminating the need for the arduous journeys that had become a routine part of life.

Local women, who had traditionally shouldered much of the responsibility for collecting household water, expressed particular relief over the development. They said they previously had to travel around 700 to 800 metres to a mountain stream and then climb steep hills while carrying water back home. The task became even more difficult during the dry months, when the stream often ran dry.

For the residents of Bethel Para, the new reservoir therefore represents more than a water facility. It has eased a daily hardship that had persisted for years and provided the community with a dependable source of water for the future.

Lal Lung Thang Bawm, a local resident and former Union Parishad member, praised the Army’s initiative, saying that the people of the area have consistently found the Bangladesh Army beside them during times of difficulty. He described the Army as a symbol of trust for the local community and said the completion of the reservoir had brought a sense of relief and happiness to the village.

The initiative in Bethel Para is also part of a broader effort by Ruma Zone to address water-related difficulties in remote communities across Ruma Upazila. In recent months, the Zone has undertaken several measures aimed at improving access to water in areas where residents face similar challenges.

Among these initiatives, a water pump and generator were provided to Artha Para, while a 2,000-liter water tank was supplied to Happy Hill Para, a 5,000-liter tank to Chairagro Para and a 1,000-liter tank to Salem Para. Water points have also been established in several other villages to help residents meet their daily needs.

These initiatives reflect a wider approach in which humanitarian assistance is being extended alongside the Army’s core responsibilities of maintaining security and supporting stability in the remote hill districts. For communities living in geographically difficult areas, relatively basic facilities such as reliable drinking-water sources can have a significant impact on health, household life and overall well-being.

The Zone Commander of Ruma Zone said such initiatives to reduce the hardships and suffering of local people would continue. He emphasized that people from all ethnic communities in the Chittagong Hill Tracts are citizens of Bangladesh and said the Army remains committed to supporting their security, welfare and peaceful coexistence.

The construction of the Bethel Para reservoir has consequently emerged as a notable example of how a targeted humanitarian intervention can address a long-standing problem at the community level. Instead of requiring villagers to repeatedly search for increasingly scarce water sources, the new facility provides a permanent infrastructure-based solution to a problem that had affected hundreds of people for years.

For the residents of Bethel Para, the significance of the project is perhaps best measured by the hardships they no longer have to endure. Long walks to distant streams, difficult climbs through steep hills and uncertainty over access to water during the dry season have now been replaced by a readily accessible reservoir within the community.

In the remote and often challenging terrain of the Chittagong Hill Tracts, initiatives that directly respond to people’s everyday needs can play an important role in strengthening confidence, cooperation and social harmony. The Bethel Para project demonstrates the practical impact that sustained engagement with local communities can have when their most pressing needs are identified and addressed through durable solutions.

The Bangladesh Army’s continued humanitarian initiatives in Ruma and other remote parts of the hill districts have also contributed to bringing essential services closer to communities that face geographical and infrastructural challenges. For the people of Bethel Para, the newly built reservoir is not merely a structure capable of holding 100,000 litres of water; it is a source of relief, dignity and greater security for the future.

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