A Correspondent
Bokakhat: A severe sanitation crisis has emerged in the Bokakhat Municipal Board area due to years of neglected drainage systems and the lack of adequate dustbins. Expressing strong dissatisfaction over what he described as the municipal board’s negligence and indifferent attitude, RTI activist Rohit Choudhury submitted an important letter to the Chief Secretary of Assam on June 11.
Copies of the letter were also sent to the Chief Minister of Assam, the Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs, and several senior government officials.
In his complaint, Choudhury alleged that although the Assam government regularly allocates funds to municipal boards, the Bokakhat Municipal Board has completely failed to maintain cleanliness and sanitation in the town. As a result, the objectives of the Swachh Bharat Mission have remained largely unfulfilled in the area. Residents reportedly dump solid waste into open drains due to the shortage of dustbins. Furthermore, the uncovered drains cause drainage water to overflow during the monsoon season. This frequently floods National Highway 37 and various parts of the town, creating foul-smelling and unhygienic conditions.
Choudhury also pointed out that the drain located in front of key public institutions—including the post office, telecommunications office, police station, and the newly constructed inspection bungalow in the heart of Bokakhat—has not been cleaned or desilted for many years. According to him, the situation clearly reflects the municipal board’s extreme negligence.
He further alleged that the Bokakhat Municipal Board has failed to effectively implement both the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016, and the recently introduced Solid Waste Management Rules, 2026.
Referring to a notification issued by Assam’s Department of Environment, Forest and Climate Change on May 1, 2026, Choudhury noted that strict legal action can be taken against responsible officials and urban local bodies for negligence in waste management. He also mentioned that after a video conference chaired by the Chief Secretary on May 19 to review solid waste management, he had drawn the attention of both the Chief Secretary and the Golaghat District Commissioner through social media on May 20. However, the authorities have yet to take effective action.
Taking the matter seriously, the RTI activist urged the chief secretary to immediately direct the authorities to clean and maintain the drains across the Bokakhat municipal area. He also demanded a high-level investigation into whether government funds allocated to the municipal board over the past ten years for drain cleaning and maintenance were properly utilized.
Bokakhat’s proximity to the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Kaziranga National Park, is noteworthy. Kaziranga attracts a significant number of domestic and international tourists, many of whom pass through Bokakhat. For this reason, successive governments and public representatives have repeatedly promised to develop Bokakhat into a tourism-friendly town.
However, according to critics, those promises have largely remained unfulfilled. The prevalence of open and unclean drains, poor urban planning, and administrative neglect continue to undermine Bokakhat’s image and highlight the gap between the vision of a tourism town and the reality on the ground.
Also Read: Residents Allege Irregularities in Bokakhat Road Construction Project