15 years of trust? Ask Madhavpur denizens!

BY Our Staff Reporter

Guwahati, Jan 31: The Congress government's much-hyped slogan nowadays '15 years of trust, 15 years of development' falls flat just two kilometers from the Chief Minister's official residence.

The inhabitants of Madhavgar, a nondescript village located at stone's throw distance from Koidhora, still depend on the streams flowing from hills nearby for potable water.

The residents have in fact installed pipes to draw water from the streams to their houses. The system doesn't require any electric pump, as the water flows turally from the highlands to the low-lying areas where their houses are located.  Some, who cannot afford to buy the pipes, either fetch the water by trudging uphill or borrow it from neighbours.

"You can gauge our plight. We cannot afford the pipes so we have to borrow water from others. You can imagine our day to day struggle. During the lean season, even the streams dry up," Rashmi, a villager, said.

Some residents, who live at the base of the hill, have wells, but these also dry up during winters. There are around 300 families in the Madhavgar area.

"Local MLA Akon Bora had two years back promised to launch a PHE scheme for the area. But his promise never materialized. He was not seen here after that. Now that elections are near, he and his politician son have started visiting the area again," another villager, SC Sarma, said.