Dibrugarh: The Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), aimed at ensuring regular and adequate drinking water supply to households across Assam’s tea gardens, has come under criticism over alleged poor implementation, with residents claiming that taps have been installed but remain without water.
In several tea gardens across the state, residents reportedly continue to depend on traditional water sources despite the installation of JJM infrastructure. At Borbaruah Tea Estate in Dibrugarh, for instance, residents alleged that household taps were installed nearly a year ago but have remained non-functional.
“The taps were installed around a year ago, but not a single drop of water has come through them. We still depend on hand tubewells for drinking water. If the taps cannot supply water, why were they installed in our homes? Almost every household has a tap, but there is no water,” a woman resident of Borbaruah Tea Estate alleged.
The situation, residents claimed, is not confined to Borbaruah. Similar complaints have reportedly emerged from several tea gardens where JJM infrastructure has been installed but regular water supply has yet to materialise.
The Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) is responsible for implementing and overseeing JJM projects in the state. However, questions have been raised over the quality of implementation and the effectiveness of the infrastructure created under the scheme.
Lakhindra Kurmi, assistant general secretary of the Assam Tea Tribes Students’ Association (ATTSA), central committee, alleged that despite the allocation of substantial funds under JJM, the mission has failed to achieve its intended objective in many tea garden areas.
“Crores of rupees have been sanctioned under JJM, but the scheme has failed to deliver the desired results in most tea gardens. There are allegations that contractors associated with the projects have misused funds. The primary objective of JJM is to ensure safe and adequate drinking water for tea garden communities, but the ground reality tells a different story,” Kurmi alleged.
He further claimed that better coordination between tea garden managements and government agencies could have helped ensure the successful implementation of the projects.
According to Kurmi, the installation of taps without ensuring a reliable water source has left residents frustrated.
“In most tea gardens, taps have been installed, but there is no water supply. The project has effectively become a white elephant. JJM appears to have turned into a money-making exercise for contractors rather than a scheme benefiting tea garden workers,” he alleged.
The allegations raise concerns over whether JJM infrastructure in Assam’s tea garden areas is translating into actual household water connections and regular supply, as envisaged under the mission.