Residents of Guwahati's Ganeshpara locality have a sordid tale to tell as the water supply project and underground pipe laying thereof over the last 8 years have rendered their roads untenable while water supply continues to remain a distant dream.
The residents of Rajmohan Boro Path complain that their ordeal has been left unaddressed by the authorities for the last 8 years. Although the main road through Ganeshpara - AK Dev Road - connecting Fatasil Ambari to Lokhra has been developed well by the Public Works Department(PWD), the Rajmohan Boro Path, right opposite to the Essar Petrol Pump, continues to remain in tatters right from the point where it connects to the main road.
During rainy days, the road transforms itself into a virtual waterfall.
Residents narrating their ordeals say that the road was not always that bad. Prior to Gammon India Limited taking up construction work of a water tank, it was a well-developed road that was constructed by the residents with their own hard-earned money.
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Giri Basumatary, a resident of the bylane said, “In 2013, the officials of Gammon India Limited came to us to seek permission for setting up a water tank at the end of the lane. They promised us round-the-clock water supply. For that, the lane had to be dug up to place large water pipelines. As we had always been suffering due to lack of proper drinking water we all readily agreed.”
“For a year work was done regularly. I think the work on the tank has also been completed. But after the first year of work, everything came to a sudden standstill. Since 2014, we haven’t seen any officer or engineer here,” he added.
While the residents of Ganeshapara have been regularly fending for themselves all these years by filling up the road at their own expense, the civic authorities have continued turning a blind eye to the issue.
Kalpana Baruah, another resident of the area said, “Given the condition of the road, even emergency services are reluctant to visit here. Ambulance and water tanks refuse to come here even if we are willing to pay more. Accidents are a common occurrence in our lane. Many people have four-wheelers but we rarely take them out. And its nearly impossible for old people to take a walk here.”
Even after 8 years of starting construction by Gammon India Limited, the water project remains incomplete. While the residents of the lane have remained deprived of supply water for all these years. The bare minimum they are asking for is for the road to be restored as commuting through the broken, boulder-strewn road has become dangerous.
The West Guwahati Water Supply Project:
The said water supply project was undertaken by Gammon India Limited to cater to the water requirements of the area under the West Guwahati Water Supply Project.
On 21st December, 2011, the Guwahati Jal Board (GJB) was established as a single organisation responsible for water supply and sewerage services to the residents of the Guwahati Metropolitan Area (GMA). The department is responsible for the operation and maintenance of the four water supply projects that the Assam government had taken up with a view to providing uninterrupted 24X7 water to the residents of Guwahati. The West Guwahati Water Supply Project that covers Ganeshpara is being funded by JNNURM (Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission).
GMDA sheds off responsibility citing lack of funds:
G Plus took up the matter with the Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA), the department undertaking the JNNURM projects.
Pulak Kalita, Project Engineer of GMDA said, “The pipeline laying work and the tank has already been completed by Gammon India Limited long back. Our job is to dig up the road and lay the pipelines. After completion of that work, we refill the road with the debris but we are not funded to construct the road. The final restoration of any lane is done by PWD or GMC, under whose jurisdiction the said road is. If Gammon is to do the restoration work, the government needs to provide fund for the same. The concerned MLA can do so under the MLA fund.”
When apprised that the locals had constantly been told that more pipelines are to be laid, Kalita rejected the allegation, confirming that the job was long completed.
“The tank building project was initially sanctioned in 2009. It was started off much later in 2013. It was definitely completed on time. The concerned authorities can rebuild the road. Only a few final house-to-house water connections need to be made, but that can be done later. If any minor part of the road has to be broken then, Gammon will definitely restore it,” Kalita said.
Pulak Kalita also assured that the Ganeshpara area should be receiving water under this project by the end of October 2020. “Water to Ganeshpara area will be provided from Kamakhya. The construction of the major pipeline at Tetelia could not be completed earlier, first due to encroachment and secondly due to a Hanuman Mandir that had obstructed completion of the pipe laying work. But now only a little portion awaits completion. As soon as that is completed, we will be able to supply water.”
Destruction of city roads in the name of water supply:
It needs to be reiterated that the above-mentioned area is not the only one facing such civic issues. There are different areas and lanes of the city that have been struggling with broken roads due to the work of the water department. Currently, only 30 percent of the residents are reported to be getting water supply from the Jal Board, that to with much irregularity.
One of the more prominent cases road destruction and non-restoration is the one near Latasil Field. The incident happened close to the Gauhati High Court on 5th June last when a newly laid water pipeline burst during a pressure test. It was the second such occurrence within two months.
Rupjyoti Talukdar, the executive engineer of Guwahati Jal Board, had then told G Plus that such occurrences were common during pressure tests and assured of restoration work from the very next day. But even after three months of the incident, the road that witnesses heavy traffic daily continues to remain the same. Now, with even one smart shower, the area gets flooded. This part of the water supply project is funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) under the Guwahati Jal Board.
There are four water projects in Guwahati. They are the South Central Guwahati Water Supply Project, the North Guwahati Water Supply Project, the West Guwahati Water Supply Project, and the South East Guwahati Water Supply Project.
The South Central Guwahati and the North Guwahati Projects are assisted by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the West Guwahati Water Supply Project is being funded by JNNURM (Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission) while the ADB (Asian Development Bank) is funding the South East Guwahati Water Supply Project.
However, what is common amongst all these is that while the 24X7 water supply still remains a distant dream for most Guwahatians, the destruction of well-constructed roads has become a regular occurrence in the city.