Delayed water projects dump city dwellers in desert!

BY OUR STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI, March 9: The Assam Information Commission (AIC), in response to an RTI second appeal case, has opined that the implementations of West Guwahati Water Supply Project, South Central Guwahati Water Supply Project and Central Guwahati Water Supply Project have been badly delayed. It may be mentioned that that while the West Guwahati Water Supply Project is being implemented by the Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA), the Guwahati Jal Board, i.e. Guwahati Metropolitan Drinking Water and Sewerage Board is the implementing authority in respect of the South Central Guwahati Water Supply Project and the Central Guwahati Water Supply Project.

Taking in view that the three water supply projects for Guwahati are of vital public interest, the Chief Information Commissioner, Assam HS Das through an order issued on February 9, directed the GMDA and the Guwahati Jal Board, to suo-moto disclose the information relating to the present status of the implementation of the projects and copies of agreements between the contractors concerned and the implementing agencies, i.e. the public agencies within 30 days through their respective websites. It may be mentioned that such pro-active disclosure is mandatory and binding on all public authorities under Section 4 (1) (b) of the RTI Act, 2005.

Thereafter, the Commission has reviewed the matter of compliance of its order by the GMDA and the Guwahati Jal Board today. It was found that the GMDA has already uploaded the sought-for information in its website. However, the Guwahati Jal Board has prayed for time to upload the relevant information in the website due to shortage of manpower. Therefore, the Commission has granted Guwahati Jal Board time till April 20, 2018 and will review the matter on the same day.