GOLAGHAT: The people of Golaghat are facing a serious problem of pure drinking water. Both in rural and urban areas, people are not getting pure drinking water.

Out of around 13,000 families in Golaghat municipal area, only 2,000 families are getting water supply from the Golaghat Municipal Board and most of these families get very less water supply. But the Municipal Board is collecting regular taxes from the citizens in the name of providing pure drinking water. Only 20 per cent of the total population in Golaghat Municipal Board area has access to pure drinking water supply and the remaining 80 per cent population still continues to rely on ponds, rivers and other sources of water.

The ground water in Golaghat has huge quantity of arsenic, fluoride and iron and consumption of such water causes several diseases. To provide arsenic and fluoride-free water to the people, a water reservoir and filter project was set up by Golaghat Municipal Board in the year 1987. But the capacity of that project has not been increased since 33 years for which majority of the population is still getting arsenic and fluoride mixed water.

On the other hand, Assam Urban Water Supply and Sewerage Board had set up Multi Crore Water Supply Project in Golaghat in the year 1996. Under this mega project, high rise water reservoir and filter was set up at four places in the town. Among them, one was near HPB Girls’ College and the second one was set up near the office of the Deputy Commissioner. But the remaining two are yet unknown. Presently, the high rise water reservoir and filter project near the DC’s office has turned into a showpiece as it stopped functioning seven years after it was set up. All these clearly indicate that a huge scam had taken place in the name of providing pure drinking water to the people of Golaghat, alleged the conscious circle of people.