Evaluating groundwater and supply water quality in Rajshahi City: Challenges in water resource management and public perception

Abstract

Urban water governance is a problem in many developing nations. Rajshahi is located on the bank of the Padma River in the northwest of Bangladesh and is a growing city in Bangladesh's northwest region. The goal of this research was to evaluate the state of the water resources in the Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC) region. The main methods for gathering data were open-ended interview scheduling and water parameter testing. Approximately, 300 families volunteered to take part in the full process of giving data. According to the statistics, 80% of the RCC's population gets its drinking water from subterranean sources, and around 45% of participants, experienced elevated iron. The water in the older town region in particular has serious issues with iron, odor, and color. According to the laboratory test, the maximum levels of Fe and Mn found in groundwater were 12 and 37 times higher than what is considered safe for human consumption. However, the other water quality parameters of groundwater look satisfying although based on the perception people are more or less happy with the amount and quality of water that the Rajshahi Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (RWASA) offers though it is capable of fulfilling only 52.64% of the demand. The findings of this research suggest that, in order to safeguard the public's interest in water supply, groundwater dependency has to be normalized and appropriate policy measures put in place. In order to fulfill Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 6), the government should take the necessary steps. This would eventually improve the socio-economic and living conditions of individuals who live in the study area.