Guwahati, Dec 24: Despite spending a staggering ₹19,000 crore under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), Assam is still grappling with incomplete success due to glaring anomalies in the Public Health Engineering (PHE) department. While 57.52 lakh households have reportedly received tap water connections, the reality on the ground tells a different story.
In the Bokakhat PHE division alone, ₹381 crore was spent to complete 371 piped water supply schemes. Yet, 44 of these schemes are non-functional, as revealed through an RTI filed by advocate Nayan Moni Hazarika.
Launched in 2019 with the ambitious goal of providing tap water to every rural household, the JJM is funded 90% by the central government and 10% by the state. However, issues like unpaid electricity bills to APDCL, road widening by PWD, and inefficient water users’ committees have rendered many schemes inoperative.
The PHE department pointed fingers at agencies like BSNL and PWD for damaging pipelines during excavation work. They claimed estimates for repairs have been prepared but admitted that many schemes remain defunct.
The problems don’t end there. An October investigation uncovered large-scale irregularities, halting construction activities under the JJM statewide. Reports suggest the number of non-functioning schemes could be significantly higher than disclosed, and the actual number of households receiving water remains shrouded in mystery.
Most of these schemes, completed between 2021 and 2024, were meant to bring relief to rural communities. Instead, they have left residents questioning whether JJM’s lofty promises were just another pipe dream.
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