The High Court (HC) has ordered authorities concerned to stop extracting the underground water in four villages in Chattogram's Patiya Upazila.
It also asked the authorities to supply pure drinking water to these villages namely Char Kanai, Hulaine, Panchuria and Habilash Dweep.
The HC bench of justices Tariq ul Hakim and Md Shohrowardi passed the order after hearing on a rule issued in this regard on Tuesday (Nov 26).
The court asked the Ministry of Water Resources to take a decision within three months whether to declare these four villages as water-stressed area.
Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA) chief executive Syeda Rizwana Hasan took part in the hearing for the petition and Deputy Attorney General Qazi Mainul Hasan stood for the state.
Nearly 30,000 residents of these villages were being deprived of water due to the groundwater withdrawals by the industries in the area, the BELA chief told the media following the court order.
As many as 300 wells of these villages, too, went ineffective, she added.
The court earlier issued the rule after a primary hearing on a writ filed by BELA.