Digboi: A tragic incident at Borbil area in Assam’s Digboi has brought longstanding allegations of official apathy, environmental mismanagement, and unchecked illicit liquor trade into sharp focus.
On Tuesday morning, locals found the body of Shayam Sundar Singh, son of the late Bhargav Singh, beneath a garbage heap in the AOD Tel Nallah.
Singh, who worked informally for a scrap dealer in Borbil No. 1, reportedly entered the clogged drain during continuous rainfall and became trapped in the sludge-filled channel, leading to his death by suffocation.
Residents directly blamed ongoing infrastructure work for the fatal incident.
They pointed to a road construction project overseen by the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL), which they say has obstructed the natural sewage flow.
“The drain turned into a deathtrap because of garbage buildup and poor drainage planning. We warned the contractor multiple times, but they ignored us,” said village headman Krishna Mahato.
Local anger has also turned toward the AOD Digboi Refinery.
The decades-old Tel Nallah, originally designed to carry both refinery waste and sewage, now overflows every monsoon.
Villagers say the toxic runoff has contaminated over 500 bighas of farmland, destroying crops and devastating livelihoods.
Despite repeated complaints, neither the refinery nor the municipal authorities has taken effective steps to address the situation.
Adding to the community’s frustration is the open sale of illegal liquor in Borbil. Residents say unlicensed vendors start selling homemade liquor and cheap spirits as early as 5 a.m., often targeting daily wage workers and scrap collectors.
Mahato acknowledged that Singh might have consumed alcohol before entering the drain, possibly in search of abandoned scrap.
“The liquor problem is out of control, and it’s dragging down our most vulnerable,” he said.
Social activists and community leaders argue that the situation has reached a breaking point.
Purna Borah, a Digboi-based social worker and Rotarian, said the flooded drain has already forced water into homes across Borbil and Jyoti Nagar.
“Year after year, we suffer the same flooding, and the authorities still haven’t acted,” he said.
Sub-Inspector Abhinash Das confirmed Singh’s identity and occupation but declined to comment on the broader allegations.
However, residents remain adamant that Singh’s death was not a random accident but the outcome of systemic failure.
As legal procedures move forward, public pressure continues to build.
Locals are demanding immediate drain clearance, accountability from NHIDCL and AOD officials, and a forceful crackdown on the illegal liquor network.
What angers the community most is the continued silence from government agencies. Residents accuse the district administration, excise officials, and local police of either ignoring the crisis or enabling it through inaction.
Unless these institutions respond decisively, they warn, more lives may be lost, and Digboi’s deeper problems will only grow worse.