400 families in Assam’s Palashbari struggle without clean drinking water

Palasbari, July 15: Dakhala Colony, a densely populated settlement under the Palasbari Legislative Assembly Constituency (LAC) in Kamrup district, is home to around 400 families. The colony is an amalgamation of four localities – Naradpara, Kukuriya, Kalitapara and Bholapara.

Despite being surrounded by semi-urban development, the residents of Dakhala Colony have been enduring a lack of basic amenities for decades. One of the most pressing issues continues to be access to clean drinking water. Villagers allege that they are not only deprived of potable water but are also largely excluded from various government welfare schemes.

Due to the rocky terrain around the Dakhala hill, water tankers cannot be brought in for water supply. Digging deep tube wells or borewells is extremely difficult and often unfruitful. Furthermore, most families cannot afford the high cost of constructing pucca wells or installing private borewells. While a few public wells exist, their water is not safe for consumption.

A local woman shared, “For bathing, washing clothes and utensils, we collect water from the Brahmaputra river. But for drinking purposes, we have to buy water, as the river water causes frequent illnesses. However, there are families even poorer than us who have no choice but to drink the river water.”

Chandra Das (55), a resident, recalled: “When we were children, a natural spring from the Dakhala Hill provided our drinking water year-round. But due to the expansion of concrete development in the area, the spring has completely dried up. Now we rely on open wells, which also dry up during the dry season, forcing us to fetch water from others’ wells – often facing verbal abuse in the process.”

Another local youth, Jitumoni Das, pointed out: “From November to April, water scarcity reaches extreme levels. Though a few public wells are present, their water is unfit for use. Last year, the village panchayat installed a borewell, but it does not supply water consistently, nor is it accessible to all households.”

It may be stated here that the BJP-led government launched the Jal Jeevan Mission under the Har Ghar Jal initiative, promising clean drinking water to every household. Under this mission, several hundred crore rupees were sanctioned to set up water conservation and distribution centres across Assam. However, the ground reality tells a different story.

Though a Jal Jeevan Mission water facility has been constructed atop the Dakhala Hill, villagers claim they are yet to receive any benefit from it. Distribution pipelines have not even been laid in Dakhala Colony. The residents allege that political leaders make grand promises during elections but disappear afterwards.

“We have submitted multiple petitions to the current BJP MLA to resolve our water crisis,” said one villager. “Though he assured us of action, we still survive on well and river water.”

The situation in Dakhala Colony reflects the broader challenges faced by rural Assam in accessing safe drinking water, despite ambitious government schemes claiming otherwise.