Guwahati: Members of the Citizens’ United Forum called for a comprehensive audit, high-level investigation into alleged corruption, and an immediate halt on permitting constructions of multi-storey buildings in areas without public water supply, demanding urgent intervention to address the city’s water crisis.
On Tuesday, the forum also urged the govt to fix accountability for stalled water projects and ensure access to safe drinking water.
Deepak Goswami, the chief convenor of the forum, said barely one-third of the city’s households are covered under govt water supply schemes. The remaining population is forced to depend on tube wells, expensive and unregulated water tankers, while in some fringe and hill areas people still rely on streams for drinking water.
“In absence of adequate public supply, unchecked extraction has led to a sharp decline in the city’s groundwater levels,” Goswami said.
The forum pointed out that multiple water supply projects launched over the last 17 years, have failed to deliver promised outcomes. The South-West Guwahati Water Supply Project, initiated in 2009, has so far failed to provide water connections even to 1,000 households. The South-Central Guwahati project, launched in 2011 with funding from the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA), has shown partial progress but has not yet covered even half of the city’s household. The North-Guwahati project, the smallest among the four, has not yet connected a single household. Meanwhile, the South-East Guwahati project, approved in 2013, has remained stalled for the past seven years due to lack of funds.
The forum raised serious allegations of irregularities, particularly in the south-east project, where contractors reportedly withdrew large mobilisation advances without executing work, raising concerns over the use of public funds.
“We demand a comprehensive CAG audit of quality issues and for the CBI to investigate irregularities already flagged in the CAG report of 2024 regarding the south-west water supply project,” Goswami said.
An official from Guwahati Jal Board assured that these concerns would be heard and discussed with the citizens in due course of time.
He is based in Guwahati and with over a year of experience, he co...
Read MoreHe is based in Guwahati and with over a year of experience, he covers topics related to civic issues, environment, and government policy in the Northeast region. He is known for reporting on regional developments and social issues.
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