STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: Two major water projects under JICA (Japan International Corporation Agency), the North Guwahati Water Supply project and the South Central Guwahati Water Supply project, are expected to put an end to the woes of acute water crisis in the city. The project expense is a total 1426 crore and expected to complete by the year 2022.
Construction works on the North Guwahati Water Supply project began in the year 2011 and will solve the water problems in the entire area. Once the project is completed, it will supply 37 million liters of water per day. The treatment plant for the South Central Guwahati Water Supply project is being constructed in Kharguli. Once completed, it will supply 191 million liters per day. It is to be mentioned that since the past several months, the residents who receive water under Zoo Road Supply Water Scheme are facing acute water scarcity.
According to officials, there are a total of 7154 connections under the Zoo Road Supply Water Scheme. There used to be four raw water pumps that supplied water to these connections. Two among these pumps were completely damaged since a long time and is beyond repair. There were two working pumps one of which was recently damaged and repaired again. However, after running for just seven hours, the motor of the pump broke down.
The residents of Zoo Road, Ganeshguri, Christian Basti, Rajgarh, Rukminigaon, Sreenagar, Tarun Nagar, Ambikagiri Nagar, Hengrabari, Roop Nagar, Japorigog, Bhaskar Nagar, Sarumotoria and Jatiya, who have been suffering for months now were hopeful that the water crisis will cease with the repair of the pump but such good times never occurred.
According to officials, the only working pump, which is supposed to run for twelve hours is made to run for sixteen hours and two powerful fans are placed on either side of the motor to keep it cool. Three lakh has been spent on repair of the pipes till date. The authorities commented that they are wisely utilizing the funds and restraining from spending a huge sum on the Zoo Road Supply Water Scheme pumps and are concentrating more on the completion of the JICA project, which will ease the entire water crisis in the city once and for all.