Guwahati: Residents of Ward No. 11 in Assam’s Biswanath district still lack access to clean drinking water and proper sanitation facilities, despite living just a short distance from important government offices like the Deputy Commissioner’s office and the Revenue Circle office.
Part of the Bishwanath Chariali municipality, Ward No. 11 shelters some of the district’s poorest families who live without the basic amenities that urban local bodies are obligated to provide, according to news reports.
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Locals stressed that the government’s claim of supplying water under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) does not match their reality. “The taps run dry most of the year. Sometimes, we get water only once annually. We rely mainly on a pump well, and for sanitation, we have no choice but to relieve ourselves in nearby jungles or tea gardens,” one resident explained.
Another elderly woman shared her daily struggle: “I have to relieve myself behind my house, but when I try to use the tea gardens, the owners chase us away.”
Adding to the irony, Ward No. 11 houses several key institutions, including Biswanath College, a B.Ed college, agriculture offices, and other district-level establishments. Yet, the residents’ plight continues to go unnoticed by local authorities.
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According to locals, the urban water supply scheme covers only about 625 households out of nearly 4,000 across the municipality. Machinery breakdowns have further worsened the situation, reducing the water supply in Ward No. 11 from twice daily to just once a day.
Dinesh Nayak, State leader of the CPI(M), sharply criticized local governance. “The people here get no respect,” he said. “The environment is unhealthy, and children face constant risks. More than 50 families share only one overcrowded public toilet, which often becomes a battleground. Many avoid using it and defecate in the open instead. Elected officials should not visit this area only during elections. They need to listen to the people, understand their struggles, and take action to improve living conditions. It’s shameful that residents living next to the DC’s office have to relieve themselves in tea gardens.”
Residents also complain that their ward representative rarely visits, leaving them without a voice or platform to express their grievances.
“All we have is our ration card. That’s what keeps us alive,” said one woman. Most residents survive by working odd jobs in tea gardens or as daily wage laborers, earning just enough to get by.
Now, the people of Ward No. 11 are appealing to authorities to provide them with reliable access to clean drinking water, functional public toilets, and government housing to uplift their living standards.