Cong MP writes to Jal Shakti min for early completion of Guwahati water supply projects

Guwahati, Aug 28 (PTI) Lok Sabha MP Gaurav Gogoi on Saturday wrote to Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Sekhawat, urging his intervention for early completion of water supply projects in Guwahati which have been under construction since 2011.

The son of former Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi alleged that while Guwahati residents are forced to buy water for daily needs, authorities concerned are least bothered about the fate of the schemes.

“The slower-than-snail’s pace of progress of the ambitious 24/7 water supply projects in Guwahati have forced residents to take to the streets on several occasions,” he wrote.

To boost the water infrastructure of the city, 36 km of transmission mains, 1,155 km of distribution pipes, 1.42 million service connections, a treatment plant and pumping stations have been planned, the MP said.

“Four major water projects in north and central Guwahati (both funded by JICA), west Guwahati (funded by JNNURM) and east Guwahati (funded by ADB) were awarded to Gammon India,” Gogoi said in the letter.

He said that the construction work commenced in 2011 and it was targeted that the projects would be completed in seven years, while the deadline was later extended to 2022.

“However, only the west Guwahati project has been completed so far and commissioned on November 30 last year, while more than 30 per cent work of the other three projects are yet to be executed,” the lawmaker said.

Gogoi requested Shekhawat to take cognisance of the matter and take prompt action to ensure immediate commissioning of the remaining three water supply projects.