Assam: Villagers facing acute water crisis in Kokrajhar district

KOKRAJHAR: In what can be termed as a clear warning of global warming, many villages of Kokrajhar district situated especially in the northern part of the Bhutan foothills have been facing acute water crisis which prompted the district administration to supply drinking water in eleven villages of Kausi area, north of Ramfalbil and Athiabari Tinali in Kokrajhar district. The scorching heat and acute water crisis have become a matter of serious concern for the people of the district.

The scanty rainfall and late arrival of monsoon has caused scorching heat over the past two months. Normally people of the region have experience  rainfall at the advent of Assamese New Year in mid- April but this year there is no visible rainfall in lower Assam except some places of northern part in the couple of days back. The drought like situation due to lack of rainfall has become worrisome for the farmers as this is the time for paddy seedlings. Though the weather forecast is showing possible rainfall since the past several days, but till today, there has been no rain at all while people are passing hot days of over 36 degrees Celsius. ‘Drought’ is a prolonged period of abnormally low rainfall, leading to a shortage of water. It can have severe and far-reaching impacts on the environment, economy, and the society.

Earlier, Kokrajhar district had over 60 pc green forest cover but it has been reduced to very low level due to unabated cutting of trees and illegal encroachments in reserve forests that also causes ecological imbalance and animal habitat as well. People are experiencing of deepening ground water level in stretch over the rivers- Swrmanga, Hell, Sonkosh, Gaurang etc. leading to fast drying of water of rivers and ring wells, tubewells etc. The acute water crisis in northern part of Kokrajhar district is a matter of serious concern as it is the first time that the district administration has been prompted to take necessary measures to distribute drinking waters to villagers which never has happened in the district.

Meanwhile, a team of Bodoland Janajati Suraksha Mancha (BJSM) led by working president DD Narzary on Thursday visited the villages which are facing acute water crisis in north of Athiabari in Kokrajhar district and collected the data of the villages. The villages are Santipur, Akiguri, Antaibari, Daimuguri, Premnagar, Dharampur, Bwigriguri, Aojarguri, Gwjwnpuri, Nijwmpuri and Dawangbufai. He said the villagers had been facing shortage of water for drinking for men and animals. Not to speak about the necessity of water for bathing, the villagers have uncertainty for agricultural use. Some of the villagers have reportedly passed nearly a month without bathing due to lack of water. He thanked the Kokrajhar district administration for taking prompt action to distribute drinking water for the villagers on humanity ground on Thursday. It is to be mentioned that the villages are recognized forest village and stretched over the eastern part of newly declared Raimana National Park. There are similar villages in Ultapani and Saralpara areas bordering Bhutan, most of the forest villages are running with shortage of water and illegal encroachers are still very active in Laopani, Lumsung, Saralpara area under Haltugaon Forest Division in Kokrajhar district. The Haltugaon forest division has lost its past glory due to massive deforestation and illegal encroachments. 

The BJSM submitted a memorandum to Kokrajhar DC urging to extend help to the remote villagers. They also demanded that the state government and BTC government to take short term measures and long-term strategies to overcome the water crisis. He also called upon all to protect the nature and forest resources to preserve the ecological imbalance to save the earth from global warming.

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