Exceptional marathon demanding safe drinking water in Shyamnagar
Ranjit Barman, Shyamnagar (Satkhira)
Tthe Sharub Youth Team organized a marathon titled "Run for Water" in Shyamnagar Upazila, adjacent to the Sundarbans in coastal Satkhira on Friday .
Nearly one hundred conscious citizens, young men and women, and environmental activists participated in the marathon. With the support of Global Platform Bangladesh, the marathon started at 6 a.m. from the garage market of Munshiganj Union Parishad in Shyamnagar Upazila and ended at the Burigoalini Akashnila Eco Tourism Complex.
The participants drew the administration’s attention with various demands under the slogans "Water is our right, not a commodity," and "We want safe drinking water under government services." The first place in the marathon was jointly awarded to Md. Atik Hasan, Kingkor Mondal, and Md. Ibrahim Khalil. SM Jannatul Naeem, founder of Sharub Youth Team, stated that there has been a severe shortage of drinking water in coastal Shyamnagar for a long time. Due to salinity, cyclones, and climate change, accessing safe water has become increasingly difficult. This unique event was organized to highlight this crisis. After the event, a brief discussion session was held at the Akashnila complex. The speakers emphasized the demand for safe water as a fundamental human right and noted that the shortage of safe drinking water, water for daily use, and irrigation water is not only in Shyamnagar but also in neighboring upazilas. They pointed out that this crisis intensifies during the current dry season.
The speakers also highlighted the drinking water scarcity faced by livestock in the area and urged the relevant authorities to pay attention and find long-term solutions. It is reported that 277 people registered online to participate in this extraordinary marathon. There was a festive atmosphere among the participants demanding solutions to the water crisis. Photo: An exceptional marathon demanding safe drinking water in Shyamnagar.
