CAG criticises Assam govt for failing to provide water

Assam government has come in for flak from the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India for failing to provide drinking water to towns under urban water supply projects despite the perennial Brahmaputra river flowing through the state.

Assam government has come in for flak from the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India for failing to provide drinking water to towns under urban water supply projects despite the perennial Brahmaputra river flowing through the state.

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None of the 87 towns, declared urban localities as per the 2001 census, out of the total 125 towns in the state get adequate water supply, the CAG said adding that only eight towns have been partially covered under the water supply scheme. In the rest, the scheme is yet to be implemented.

As per norms, a state level committee (SLC) is to be formed for considering the detailed projects reports (DPR) but audit scrutiny revealed that the SLC was not formed and therefore all the projects were selected without its approval.

Besides, priority sectors in water supply management were not identified nor was any survey conducted relating to dependability and reliability of water sources, it said.

As the norms were not followed, the selection of projects under major schemes was neither based on scientific analysis nor in consonance with the programme's guidelines, CAG said in its report tabled in the assembly.

It recommended drawing up of a long-term master plan for ensuring adequate and safe drinking water to all the towns in a phased and time-bound manner.