The ambitious sewerage project may well determine the future of the city’s environment and public health
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In a decisive move to tackle Guwahati’s enduring sanitation and environmental challenges, the Assam Cabinet approved a significant allocation of ₹1,460.37 crore for Phase I of the long-awaited Guwahati Sewerage Project. This project, assisted by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), is anticipated to bring the city its first structured sewage collection and treatment system. With ambitious plans to serve over a lakh households in South-Central Guwahati, the project aims to address both sanitation and pollution issues that have plagued the city for years. However, with a projected timeline of eight years for completion and no physical work evident nearly two years after the official start date, the project is already raising concerns over whether it will meet its promises or face the delays characteristic of past infrastructure initiatives in Assam’s capital.
The project’s scale reflects the urgency of the task. It involves the construction of three major sewage treatment plants with a combined treatment capacity of 187 million litres per day (MLD). These facilities will be strategically located across the city’s water bodies at Silsako Beel (65 MLD), Borsola Beel (62 MLD), and Paschim Boragaon (60 MLD). Additionally, an extensive sewerage network spanning 872 kilometres, with an additional 1.191 kilometres planned using trenchless methods, will cover the city’s densely populated southern and central areas. In a first for the city, a 40 KLD Faecal Sludge and Septage Treatment Plant has also been included to manage waste from households that are not yet connected to the sewer network, underscoring a comprehensive approach to waste management in one of Assam’s most populous urban zones.
The Assam government’s nod for this project is an acknowledgment of the state’s ongoing struggle with sanitation management. Despite being the largest city in the Northeast, Guwahati has, until now, been devoid of a structured sewerage system, which has led to deteriorating conditions in local water bodies. Pollution levels in the city’s rivers, lakes, and ponds have reached an all-time high, affecting both human health and the local environment. The new sewerage infrastructure promises to alleviate this burden, providing a long-term solution to untreated sewage discharge and subsequent contamination.
The JICA-assisted initiative is part of a larger cooperation between Japan and India, with JICA being the largest bilateral donor for India’s infrastructure and social development projects. In recent years, JICA has extended significant support to India, funding projects across various sectors, including water supply, sanitation, transportation, and disaster management. With Guwahati’s Sewerage Project, JICA aims to introduce a modern sewerage and treatment system that can serve as a model for other rapidly growing cities in the region. The project not only reflects the commitment of both the Indian and Japanese governments to improve urban infrastructure but also highlights the increasing need for foreign assistance in sectors where local resources and expertise fall short.
However, the excitement surrounding the project’s announcement is tempered by the residents’ scepticism and concerns regarding timely implementation. In a statement to GPlus, an official overseeing the project remarked, “An order was signed on October 29, 2024 for initiation. The duration for completion will be around eight years, but we will try to complete it earlier.” While the assurance of expediting the project is promising, the delay from the initially intended start date has made citizens question the government’s commitment to seeing the project through as planned. According to data available on the Gati Shakti India Investment Grid, the official start date was set for April 4, 2022, with an expected completion date of 2030. Yet, as of October 2024, there has been no discernible progress on the ground, amplifying concerns that the sewerage system might become yet another stalled initiative.
For Guwahati’s residents, who have witnessed numerous projects announced with fanfare only to be abandoned halfway or faced with endless delays, the sewerage project’s timeline appears overly optimistic. Speaking on the issue, a business owner from the city’s South-Central area commented, “We keep hearing about new schemes, but rarely do they come to fruition. Eight years is a long time to wait, and we have doubts if it will even be completed by then.” His sentiments reflect a growing frustration among residents who bear the brunt of infrastructural neglect and frequently suffer from disruptions due to unfulfilled government promises.
Experts in urban development echo these sentiments, expressing concerns that without rigorous project management and monitoring, the sewerage project risks becoming another costly burden without tangible results. An urban planner based in the city explained, “Guwahati has an unfortunate history of infrastructure projects either exceeding budgets or being indefinitely delayed. If this project doesn’t proceed as planned, it could worsen an already dire public health situation.” Delays in implementation could lead to further contamination of local water bodies, with untreated sewage spilling into rivers and lakes. Such consequences would not only impact the local environment but could also compromise the health of thousands of residents who rely on groundwater and rivers as primary water sources.
Environmental advocates also warn that the absence of immediate action intensifies existing public health risks. “For a city like Guwahati, the lack of sewage treatment poses significant hazards to water quality and public health,” stated a representative from a prominent environmental group in Guwahati. “The government has a duty to expedite such crucial projects, and we need regular, transparent updates on their progress.” Without an established monitoring mechanism or timeline enforcement, the project’s goal of reducing pollution in Guwahati’s water bodies and improving sanitation remains uncertain.
Past efforts to upgrade Guwahati’s infrastructure have faced similar challenges. Projects focused on flood control, road development, and waste management have frequently encountered bureaucratic delays, cost overruns, and issues with contracting procedures. The recent road restoration project in Guwahati, for example, saw major setbacks due to delays caused by inter-departmental conflicts and a lack of coordination among contractors. Residents fear that without strict accountability, the Guwahati Sewerage Project could face the same fate, leaving the city with little to show for a sizeable public investment.
While the Assam government’s substantial financial commitment signals its intent to address Guwahati’s sanitation crisis, the public’s trust remains precarious. The absence of a clear communication strategy for updating residents on project milestones and potential delays has only fuelled scepticism. Experts argue that regular updates and greater transparency in decision-making could improve public confidence and allow for community feedback that could prevent unforeseen issues during implementation.
As it stands, the Guwahati Sewerage Project represents a bold but challenging endeavour to bring organised waste treatment and disposal to a city long in need of such infrastructure. With pollution levels rising and urban population densities increasing, effective sanitation management has never been more critical. Guwahati’s dependence on groundwater, combined with its proximity to several sensitive ecosystems, makes untreated sewage a particularly pressing issue.
The project, if executed efficiently, has the potential to serve as a model for urban waste management in other Indian cities. However, with no observable progress on the ground, questions about its feasibility continue to grow. As Guwahati’s residents wait for tangible results, the spotlight remains on the authorities, who must now prove their commitment to transforming Guwahati’s sanitation landscape. Whether the project will genuinely improve living conditions or end up as yet another symbol of bureaucratic inefficiency remains to be seen.
Only time will tell if the government’s promises of timely completion and effective waste management come to fruition, or if the residents of Guwahati will be left disappointed once again. In the end, this ambitious initiative may well determine not only the future of the city’s environment and public health but also the credibility of local governance in Assam.