Around 17000 households are getting water supply in a phased manner, but none are receiving water 24/7 which was the promise made by the government when the work of the projects started; completion deadline further postponed to March 2025 from December 2024
The website of Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) says that in order to provide affordable, reliable, safe, pressurised and “continuous (24x7) supply” of water to the Guwahati Metropolitan Area, the Government of Assam had taken up four major water supply projects, with the funding from Government of India (JNNURM) for the South West region, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for the North and South Central regions and Asian Development Bank (ADB) for the South East region. In 2008, Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA), which was then under GDD, submitted a DPR (Detailed Project Report), which was prepared by Tahal Ltd and Consulting Engineering, to the central government (Central Public Health and Environmental Engineering Organisation). The initial DPR was for entire Guwahati and for one project, but after scrutiny it was found that the project was not feasible at one go for various reasons and, accordingly, it was divided into four projects with different budgets, and different project managing consultancies (PMCs) where hired. But one claim which the government made then was that when households get the water connection they will receive “24/7” water supply.
ALSO READ: Piped Gas Supply Delay Frustrates Guwahati Residents
Come 2025, and till now the project is not completed, but some households have received water connection in a phased manner. Yet, are they receiving 24/7 water supply? The answer is, no.
A resident of Swahid Dilip Chakraborty Path, Tarun Nagar, Partha Prawal Goswami talking to GPlus said, “Initially, when we received the water supply connection the water used to come the entire day, but now, as the number of connections are increasing, water comes at around 7.30 am and remains till around 2 PM,” adding that the main issue is for one or other technical reasons water supply is discontinued on many days of a month. “We hardly get water supply for 12 days in a month,” said Goswami adding that the water is also not as clean as it was when it started. “Once I got pieces of plastic in the water supplied by Guwahati Jal Board,” stressed Goswami.
Similarly, a resident of Zoo Road also backed the views of Goswami saying water supply is not 24/7 and not that clean.
A resident of Amiya Nagar, who has a connection, said that water supply is not regular, and many times, for technical issues, is suspended because of which they have to purchase water.
Under Guwahati South Central water supply project, around 17000 households have received water connections in a phased manner, but the 24/7 water supply claim remains a myth.
On January 31, the Guwahati Jal Board through their X handle tweeted, “We seek to inform our esteemed consumers that water supply will be interrupted on 1st February 2025 in areas namely Rajgarh byelane 3 and Pub Sarania byelane 6, Ganesh Mandir Path and Gandhibasti, Islampur etc, due to leakage rectification work at Pub Sarania byelane 6.” Such messages are frequent in the social media pages of Guwahati Jal Board.
Meanwhile, the delay in the completion of the water supply project has raised eyebrows on the performances of the Guwahati Jal Board and the authorities concerned.
In 2009-10, the PMCs for these four projects were decided after fulfilling the criteria set by the state and the central government and also the funding agencies as they are the ones who provide loan to the states for development projects. The share of the fund was 90:10 between Centre and the state. The work for South West Guwahati project started in 2010, South Central in 2012, North Guwahati – 2012 and South East – 2014.
The estimated cost for South West Guwahati project was Rs 355 crore, South Central and North Guwahati –Rs 1636.28 crore and South East project – Rs. 1100 crore.
The then Congress government claimed initially that the project would be completed by 2014 before putting it off to early 2015, but it did not see light of day till the party remained in power (2016).
In 2016, the BJP formed the government and they claimed that by 2020 everyone in Guwahati will get drinking water but five years down the line, the 24/7 drinking water supply for all is still a dream.
Recently, Assam government sought two weeks' time from Gauhati High Court to respond to the petition filed by a senior citizens' forum seeking an investigation into the alleged irregularities in the implementation of two major water projects in the city. The senior citizens' forum, ‘Chiriyakhana Patha Jyestho Nagarik Sanshta', filed the interlocutory application (IA) in the PIL, which was filed in 2021, highlighting the potable drinking water crisis in the city.
President of the forum Indrajit Dutta talking to GPlus said, “We only want that all four projects should be completed soon,” adding that an investigation can help find out the reasons for the delay and who are the people responsible. He said unless the projects are completed people will keep using underground water which has high amount of arsenic and fluoride. He said the underground water level is decreasing and this can cause pollution and other hazards in the city.
The promise of a steady, safe, and reliable water supply for Guwahati residents has been a recurring tale of disappointment. Despite bold assurances by the Guwahati Jal Board (GJB) to complete all water supply projects by December 2024, hopes have been shattered as the department has now pushed the deadline into 2025. The prolonged struggle of citizens, coupled with endless construction work and project delays, continues to leave Guwahatians exasperated.
A senior official of Guwahati Jal Board talking to GPlus on condition of anonymity said, “The deadline to complete the project was December 2024 but due to various technical issues the project will be completed by March 2025.”
He agreed that 24/7 water supply was a promise and it will be fulfilled when the project is completed. “There are five pumps which will be pumping water to the households, “said the official adding that at present only one pump is being used which is why 24/7 water supply is not possible. He said that there are old pipes and leakages in many. “Some old pipes are being replaced and leakages are being rectified,” said the official adding that very soon the Narkasur and Sonaiguli connections will be commissioned. He agreed that there were various reasons for the delay of the projects, some technical and some political, but now the projects will be completed soon.
