Assam Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Kaushik Rai announced on Thursday that the long-delayed drinking water supply projects in Guwahati, funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), are now expected to be completed by December this year. The projects have been in the works for over a decade since their commencement in March 2012.
The South-Central Guwahati Water Supply Project has achieved 96.75 per cent physical progress, while the North Guwahati Water Supply Project has reached 95.75 per cent completion. Initially, the projects were scheduled for completion within 36 months and 28 months, respectively. However, significant delays have been witnessed over the years. A total of Rs 1,450.87 crore has been spent on the two projects, including Rs 1,425.93 crore through JICA assistance and Rs 24.95 crore from the State-Owned Priority Development (SOPD) fund.
The South-Central Guwahati project is already supplying potable water to 83,569 households, whereas the North Guwahati scheme is expected to cover around 15,000 households after it becomes fully operational. The State Assembly was also informed about the progress of other water supply projects, including the South-West Guwahati Water Supply Project, which has recorded 72 per cent progress since its implementation by the Guwahati Jal Board in October 2023.
The South-East Guwahati Water Supply Project has completed 17 per cent of its first phase, with the remaining work resuming in March this year with financial support from the New Development Bank (NDB). The Rs 192.46 crore project is targeted for completion by May 2029. Additionally, the Zoo Road Water Supply Scheme, commissioned in 1996, has incurred expenditure of Rs 75.39 crore and currently provides drinking water to around 900 households.
The Guwahati Municipal Corporation operates water supply schemes at Panbazar, Satpukhuri, and Kamakhya, benefiting nearly 21,000 consumers. Minister Rai stated that surveys indicate that Guwahati requires drinking water connections for about 2.21 lakh households, while work on the JICA-assisted Guwahati Sewerage Project is also in progress.
