the cleaning and repair of wells
There are a lot of wells in Bangladesh. Most shallow wells are privately owned, whereas the more expensive deep wells are usually owned by a user group and were constructed by the government or an aid organisation. These wells are used extremely frequently, and some are therefore in poor condition. The pumps, which are mostly manual, wear out over time due to frequent use. The wells are maintained by the user communities as best they can. Minor repairs, such as replacing screws or seals, can still be carried out without difficulty. However, over time, more major repairs may be required, such as broken rods or broken well pipes. Old wells in particular (over 10 years old) are often simply blocked, as sludge and fine sand are drawn into the filter slots over the years until the well eventually stops supplying water. As a result, villagers are forced to drink arsenic-contaminated shallow groundwater or transport clean water over long distances.
Many villages already have a deep well; if these break down, new wells are usually drilled at some point. This is not necessary, as a simple clean-out using compressed air can quickly resolve the issue. During our field visit in November 2023, we therefore paid particular attention to these ‘broken’ wells. A local drilling company was able to get almost all the wells working again, and the costs were a fraction of what a new well would have cost. During our stay, four wells were restored to working order. We involved the user communities as much as possible in the process – everyone was even willing to contribute to the repair of their well – through financial contributions, labour or donations like used riser pipes.
It makes much more sense to continue using existing wells than to constantly build new ones. That is why we will continue to support the repair and cleaning of old wells in the future. A well can be repaired with a donation of just €50 to €100.
Here are a few impressions of the works:
At a deep well in Dashpara, near Kanaipur, we were able – with funding from the SEZ – to repair a faulty deep well and put it back into operation for everyone’s use, complete with an electric pump and tanks. The well casing had broken. The village community had already made several makeshift repairs, but a proper repair was too expensive. After more than a week of hard work, the drilling company was finally able to repair the well. The users contributed significantly to all the work. In the photo, the drilling company is removing the well pipe that had been pushed into the broken pipe by the users for repair.
In addition to this well, the drilling company in Kanaipur was able to repair another well on our behalf by cleaning it, located near the market square. There was also a faulty well right on the market square itself, but as it was beyond repair, we had a new one drilled nearby. Market squares are central locations visited by many people. This is why there is a particularly high demand for water here.
With deep wells fitted with hand-operated pumps, such as those typically installed by the government, pumping is very labour-intensive. The pumps are often broken, and in rural areas there is no one to repair them; furthermore, there is no village structure in place to collectively cover the running costs. Our installation is regularly inspected by AGAPE Bangladesh. Should repairs be necessary, the villagers are required to contribute a small sum towards the cost. This strengthens the village community and encourages the well to be treated with care.
Gujakhair School Well: The primary school in Gujakhair had a deep well with a hand-operated pump, but it always produced murky water that smelled and tasted bad, so it was hardly ever used. Hand-operated pumps for deep wells are extremely stiff to operate and therefore impossible for children to use. Consequently, the children drank water with extremely high arsenic levels from the toilet block next door. To the students’ delight, the drilling company cleaned the well with compressed air over several days. The well now provides clean, clear water. The hand pump has been replaced by an electric pump and now fills the water tank on the toilet block, from which the children get their drinking water.
The community well in Korgaon was built over 10 years ago by a Bangladeshi aid organisation. Due to heavy use, the internal mechanism of the hand-operated pump had already broken several times and had been welded in many places. Eventually, however, a valve broke off and a simple repair was no longer possible. The drilling company was able to retrieve the broken part and carry out a comprehensive refurbishment of the well. It is currently being operated again with the original hand-operated pump. However, we have offered to support the user community in converting it to an electric pump with tanks and pipes. This simplifies water collection and significantly reduces the distance many villagers have to walk to fetch water.
In Lahiri Mohonpure, our partner organisation AGAPE Bangladesh replaced the faulty SIDKO filter in 2023 with a well fitted with an electric pump and pipework. As the water at medium depths here was free of arsenic and iron, there was no need to construct a deep well. To determine the depth of the well, Heidelberg University took samples from the surrounding wells near the village square and analysed them for arsenic and iron content. This enabled the required depth to be determined prior to drilling.
