Assam: ‘BTC should take measures to overcome water crisis’ says villagers of kokrajhar

KOKRAJHAR: The scanty rainfall and late arrival of monsoon has not only caused scorching heat but also created water scarcity in different parts of the district especially in the northern part. The villagers of as many as 11 villages under Serfanguri police station are facing shortage of water from the past two months as ground water level is going down deeper causing all the ring wells and tube wells of the locality to dry up prompting the district administration to distribute drinking water pressing water tank of PHE department few days back.

This correspondent on Sunday visited the villages which are facing shortage of water in Kousi, Aozarguri, Bwigriguri, Akhiguri and Dwimuguri etc. and interacted with local people. As there has been a lack of rainfall, Swrmanga river, Sapkata rivulet and other streams are seen going dry while ring wells and tube wells are also becoming useless. There are three PHE projects under Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) at Akhiguri, Dwimuguri and Aozarguri but all are still not functional. The completion of projects under JJM is reportedly delayed and pipe fitting works are not completed. The domestic animals and other wild animals of Raimana National Parks in that part are also facing hard times of water scarcity.

Talking to The Sentinel, Binod Basumatary, village headman of Bwigriguri village said there had been at least eleven villages which are facing shortage of water in the locality. The villages are Shantipur, Akhiguri, Anthaibari, Daimuguri, Premnagar, Dharampur, Bwigriguri, Aozarguri, Gwjwnpuri, Nijwmpuri and Dawangbutua. He said these villages were recognized forest villages under Kachugaon Forest Division and they got the land title (Patta) only a couple of months back. “There are 41 family members in our village and only three Taro pumps meant for villagers are giving service while all ring wells and tube wells of individual have dried up,” he said adding that they had experience of drying up of ring well and tube wells during April and May but this year, all ring and tube wells are not in use due to water level going down and lack of rainfall. He also said the villagers were facing hard days due to want of drinking water and demanded that the government should speed up the water supply projects under JJM on priority basis for solution of the water crisis.

Barhungkha Basumatary of the same village told this correspondent that a well-known entrepreneur of Kokrajhar Monoranjan Brahma was a saviour at the moment of acute water crisis as he has put a water tank truck into service for three days back and distributing drinking water to villagers in the area from his own expenses. He said Brahma had extended generous service on humanitarian ground and brought relief to some extent while no one has come forward to take notice of their grievances.

Meanwhile, Swmkhwr Basumatary of Akhiguri and Swmdwn Narzary of Dwimuguri said the villagers were forced to move all around looking for drinking water as not only river and streams but all ring and tube wells have dried up due to scanty rainfalls. They said a water tank was pressed into service to distribute drinking water from district administration a couple of days back but it is not sufficient as domestic animals are also facing hardships. They also said the three water supply projects under JJM at Akhiguri, Dwimuguri and Aozarguri were yet to be completed. They expressed fear that these water supply projects could increase the water scarcity in the locality if these become fully functional. They, however, said the projects must ensure proper service to provide water for a long time saying that any washout of the project will rather complicate their problems.

The drought-like situation due to lack of rainfall has become worrisome for the farmers as this is the time for paddy seedlings. Though the weather forecast is showing possible rainfall since the past several days till today, there has been no rain at all while people are passing hot days of over 36 degrees Celsius.

Earlier, Kokrajhar district had over 60 pc green forest cover but it reduced to very low level due to unabated cutting of trees and illegal encroachments in reserve forests that also causes ecological imbalance and animal habitat as well. People have experience of deepening ground water level in stretches over the rivers- Swrmanga, Hell, Sonkosh, Gaurang etc. leading to fast drying of waters of rivers and ring wells, tubewells etc. The acute water crisis in the northern part of Kokrajhar district is a matter of serious concern as it is the first time that the district administration has been prompted to take necessary measures to distribute drinking water to villagers which has never happened in the district.

Meanwhile, the BJSM recently submitted a memorandum to Kokrajhar DC urging them to extend help to the remote villagers. They also demanded that the state and BTC government should take short term measures and long-term strategies to overcome the water crisis. They also called upon all to protect the nature and forest resources to preserve the ecological imbalance to save the earth from global warming.

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