Fresh drinking water crisis hits prime localities in Guwahati

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The prime city localities are faced with fresh drinking water crisis as 10 pumps procured by the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) to suck water from the Brahmaputra River have developed technical snags.

Localities namely Chandmari, Silpukhuri, several parts of GNR Road, Nabagraha and Hedayatpur have been badly hit by drinking water scarcity.

Sources said that the GMC had purchased 10 pumps at the cost of Rs 4.43 crore in December, 2019, to suck water from the Brahmaputra; and installed those at the Satpukhuri Water Treatment Plant in January this year. But even before the completion of six months from the dates of installation, these pumps have developed technical snags. None of them is functioning, causing drinking water crisis.

"The GMC has been saying that the pumps have warranty period for one year. The company which supplied the pumps is supposed to send their mechanics to repair or replace the same. But mechanics are yet to arrive at the Satpukhuri site to make the pumps functional," the source said.

Since the drinking water crisis is aggravating, a section of residents of Chandmari and Silpukhuri led by former Area Sabha member of GMC Dilip Boro on Friday met the Guwahati Development Department Minister Siddhartha Bhattacharya and submitted a memorandum to him. Boro demanded immediate steps from the GMC to make the water pumps functional. A copy of the memorandum was also submitted to the GMC Commissioner.

Residents have also alleged that the GMC had procured low-quality pumps for which it did not last even for six months. Meanwhile, the GMC has entrusted its Additional Commissioner Siddhartha Goswami to carry out a probe into the matter.

The present requirement of water for over 10 lakh population in the city is about 132 million litres of water per day (MLD) against which the government agencies are supplying only 79 MLD, the source said. The city's daily drinking water requirement will go up to 350 MLD by 2025.