GUWAHATI, June 10 – Residents of many Guwahati areas are complaining acute shortage of drinking water for the past several years due to the phenomenon of rapid sinking of ground water table. The virtual non-existence of municipal water supply scheme has added to the problems of these people. They are now left to the mercy of the private water suppliers.
Jitu Paul, a resident of Narengi, complained that the people of his area have been facing acute shortage of drinking water for the past about six months. “Most of the house holds in the locality have wells. But the sinking ground water table in the area has been making the people buy water from the private suppliers,” he said.
It needs mention here that the private water suppliers charge Rs 180 against a tanker of 600 litres in the area.
Nabin Deka of Pub Sarania said that though his area is connected with a municipal water supply scheme, the amount of water supplied by the Municipal Corporation is not adequate for the household requirements. “The area gets water only for half an hour in the morning,” he said, adding, on occasions, the taps remain dry for two to three days at a stretch.
Kanak Barman of Geeta Nagar said that the Botgostal area was not covered by any of the municipal water supply schemes. Some of the Geetanagar areas are covered by the water supply scheme of the Assam Urban Water Supply and Sewerage Board, but the water supplied by the scheme is not at all safe for drinking, Barman said.
GMC sources said that the authorities have plans to combat the drinking water-related problems of the Guwahatians with a permanent solution to all such problems.
The Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewable Mission (JNNURM) has sanctioned Rs 280 crore for the municipal water supply network for the western part of the city. The areas proposed to be covered under the scheme include GMC Wards 1 to 13 in this part.
For the northern and central parts of the city, the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) has sanctioned Rs 1500 crore against a similar project, whereas, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has come forward to extend financial assistance for another such project to benefit the residents of the eastern part of the city.
“It will require over five years to complete the projects,” sources said, adding, after completion, the projects would help supply water to the Guwahatians on a round the clock basis, sources said.
The GMC has been trying to help the residents of those areas, which are not covered by its water supply network, by pressing into service its water tankers against a nominal charge of Rs 15 per 1000 litres. But the actual carriage charge of the tankers comes out higher for the distant locations, said the sources.
http://www.assamtribune.com/scripts/details.asp?id=jun1109/City
Jitu Paul, a resident of Narengi, complained that the people of his area have been facing acute shortage of drinking water for the past about six months. “Most of the house holds in the locality have wells. But the sinking ground water table in the area has been making the people buy water from the private suppliers,” he said.
It needs mention here that the private water suppliers charge Rs 180 against a tanker of 600 litres in the area.
Nabin Deka of Pub Sarania said that though his area is connected with a municipal water supply scheme, the amount of water supplied by the Municipal Corporation is not adequate for the household requirements. “The area gets water only for half an hour in the morning,” he said, adding, on occasions, the taps remain dry for two to three days at a stretch.
Kanak Barman of Geeta Nagar said that the Botgostal area was not covered by any of the municipal water supply schemes. Some of the Geetanagar areas are covered by the water supply scheme of the Assam Urban Water Supply and Sewerage Board, but the water supplied by the scheme is not at all safe for drinking, Barman said.
GMC sources said that the authorities have plans to combat the drinking water-related problems of the Guwahatians with a permanent solution to all such problems.
The Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewable Mission (JNNURM) has sanctioned Rs 280 crore for the municipal water supply network for the western part of the city. The areas proposed to be covered under the scheme include GMC Wards 1 to 13 in this part.
For the northern and central parts of the city, the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) has sanctioned Rs 1500 crore against a similar project, whereas, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has come forward to extend financial assistance for another such project to benefit the residents of the eastern part of the city.
“It will require over five years to complete the projects,” sources said, adding, after completion, the projects would help supply water to the Guwahatians on a round the clock basis, sources said.
The GMC has been trying to help the residents of those areas, which are not covered by its water supply network, by pressing into service its water tankers against a nominal charge of Rs 15 per 1000 litres. But the actual carriage charge of the tankers comes out higher for the distant locations, said the sources.
http://www.assamtribune.com/scripts/details.asp?id=jun1109/City
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