GUWAHATI, Aug 25 - Erratic power supply coupled with haphazard electricity connection is making life miserable this summer for the residents of the Janasimolu locality of greater Botahguli area, located a few kilometres away from the Capital Complex.
According to Pranjit Borah, president of Janasimolu Janakalyan Committee, the Assam Power Distribution Company Ltd (APDCL) had disconnected the power supply in the entire area during an eviction drive carried out in 2017, due to which even those families who did not come under the ambit of the eviction drive got affected.
�Since then, the power supply has never been streamlined. With a request to rectify the issue, we moved the Chief Minister�s office in 2018. A few days later, responding to our request, the Chief Minister asked the APDCL officials to look into the matter. Following this, the APDCL made some temporary arrangements, but the system does not function properly and very often technical snags are detected, making things worse for the tax payers. This summer, around 1,000 families are feeling the heat of the erratic power supply in the locality,� Borah said.
Moreover, condition of the roads in this area is also very pathetic. According to locals, the road in hilly area becomes extremely dangerous during the rainy season and it increases the possibility of road accidents, too. Recently, the State government started construction of a part of the main road, but the local people are demanding construction and repair of all the roads in the area.
Again, though the area is located inside a metropolitan city, its residents are still lagging behind when it comes to having access to basic amenities, including safe drinking water.
�As there is no provision for water supply in our area, most of the people depend upon hilly fountain to collect water, while some others have dug ring well in their household premises,� Borah said.
Talking to this correspondent, the president of Janasimolu Janakalyan Committee asserted that the recent eviction drive aimed at eliminating encroachment from the forest land in the area failed to yield any result.
�Not a single family shifted from this place after the eviction drive. So, the drive virtually yielded no result. I think rehabilitation of these families will be an effective step towards eliminating encroachment from the forest land,� Borah added.
