The High Court here on Tuesday imposed a restriction on extracting underground water in four villages in Patiya upazila of Chattogram and directed the authorities concerned to take steps to ensure uninterrupted supply of drinking water to the villages.

The four villages are – Charkanai, Hulain, Pachuria and Habilasdwip.

The HC bench of Justice Tariq ul Hakim and Justice Md Suhrawardi passed the order after final hearing of a rule.

HC also directed the Water Resources Ministry to take decision within three months whether the four villages would be declared as water crisis-prone areas.

Advocate Syeda RizwanaHasan stood for the writ petitioner while Deputy Attorney General Kazi Mainul Hasan represented the government.

Syeda Rizwana said over 30,000 people of the four villages have been facing immense sufferings as they are not getting water from 300 tube wells due to underground water extraction by industries in the area.

Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers’ Association (BELA) filed a writ petition in this regard.