3L households demand drinking water supply ahead of GMC polls

Guwahati: About 3 lakh parched households in the city, who are awaiting proper drinking water supply for decades, have urged the state government, Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) and other authorities to ensure potable tap water ahead of the urban body polls on April 19. The GMC polls will be held after a gap of nine years.
Around 70% of the households in the densely populated city depend on private water suppliers despite Guwahati being located on the banks of the Brahmaputra.The four major water supply projects, whose total capacity is 440 MLD (million litres per day), are yet to be completed though their construction began more than a decade ago.
The GMC demarcated its wards in January increasing their number from 31 to 60. Of these, ward numbers 2, 19, 35 and 55 are some of the worst hit by drinking water crisis.
The residents of ward no. 2, which comprises the northern side of parts of Gotanagar, Jalukbari and Nambari railway colony, had voted for a Congress candidate as councillor, who allegedly did not pay heed to the issue.
Ajit Das, a resident of Gotanagar, said the area has no access to drinking water supply. “Big pipes of the water projects, construction of which is going on, were installed a few years ago but people are still waiting to get potable tap,” he added.
Meanwhile, Jiten Sarma, an octogenarian resident of Chandmari area, which falls under ward no. 35, said, “I had a well which has now dried up. Now, I must pay whatever the private water suppliers ask because we cannot live without drinking water. Being a resident of this city, I feel ashamed that the authorities concerned as well as the government have completely failed to provide basic amenities. I would like to urge the authorities to find a solution to the crisis in an urgent manner.”
It must be noted that the Kamrup (Metro) district administration on March 17 put on hold its order banning extraction of ground water by private water suppliers. It had on March 10 issued an order “prohibiting all types of extraction of groundwater in any form in the district without prior permission from the Central Ground Water Board (CWCB)”.
Deputy commissioner Pallav Gopal Jha also directed the GMC to ensure strict implementation of the order. But within 24 hours, the DC issued a second order by which households which are extracting groundwater only for domestic use and the armed forces establishments were exempted from the prohibition.