Potable drinking water still a distant dream in this village

From a Correspondent

HAMREN, Feb 5: At a time when the government is boasting of having taken up various developmental projects, residents of Rongkangthir Dengja Teron village, comprising of more than 80 households, situated 12 km away from Diphu along the Diphu-Manja road are dependent on one ring well to meet their drinking water requirements.

Presence of fluoride was reported in the area and Public Health Engineering (PHE) department established the Rongkangthir piped water supply scheme under Diphu rural water supply division, but that has also been lying dysfunctiol since the last few years and authorities have happily turned a blind eye towards it.

Villagers are even forced to collect water from a few men and machine-made shallow pits, which are also frequented by domestic animals, in order to meet their drinking water need, thereby exposing the residents to various diseases. The KAAC authority has failed to address the problems of the villagers who have made several complaints in the past.

The local MAC Pradip Difusa has not visited the village even once after the election.  “We do not even recognize the present PHE EM Bidyasing Rongpi. No public representative has even bothered to visit the village in its 70 years of existence,” complained local residents.

The water pipe carrying potable water from Siloni to Diphu is in the vicinity of the village. Villagers have requested the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) authority and PHE department to provide safe drinking water facility at the earliest.