Taradubi (Hamren) May 21: Hamren villagers’ dream of getting safe drinking water remains unfulfilled even after spending Rs 6.58 crore for 13 different water supply projects under the topographically-complicated hilly subdivision’s public health engineering department.

A look at a recent document to New Delhi from the Karbi Anglong autonomous council is enough to establish that Hamren villagers’ thirst has been quenched as all the newly established schemes are functioning.

A look at the field, however, might establish it to be a view only through the wrong end of a telescope.

Most of these rural drinking water schemes remain non-functional for the past couple of months basically for two reasons — failure to execute all scheduled works or apathy of the department staff in going for routine maintenance.

“There is no diesel to run the pump set. So, water supply is off for the last two months,” said a source in Greater Taradubi water supply scheme.

A total of Rs 1.364 crore was spent under government’s Accelerated Power Development and Reform Programme in 2009-10 for the rural project. According to local autonomous council record, all the 12 work components, including sedimentation tank, distribution network, power line, pump house, overhead tank had been constructed and the project is distributing water regularly.

Drinking water crisis is the basic problem in Hamren where people have to depend on hilly streams for water. Contamination of fluoride and iron is another reason why people living specially in the inter-district border with Nagaon cannot opt for tubewells.

The hill district council received assistance under the reforms programme for 13 water supply schemes targeting to increase the number of such drinking water supply projects to 81 in the sub-division. The new schemes target to cover 13 important rural areas, including Upper Taradubi, Upper Lutumari, Deragaon, Rengthama no. 9, Umdap-1, Umbaso, Durang, Pundurimakha, Pomakuchi, Serlongchor, Bogajamin, Priloo and Belbari.

With an estimated cost of Rs 136.04 lakh, Greater Toradubi was the biggest and Bogajamin water supply scheme (Rs 26.80 lakh) was the smallest among the new schemes.

“We found the works done here, but we are not sure about the work quality. They told us that electrified motors would be used, but later on they installed a diesel-run pump set and made sure the project was inaugurated by a council leader,” said Arun Masrang.

Tiwa-dominated Taradubi is one among the few places of Karbi Anglong where groundwater is not at all pure because of turbidity, iron and hardness.

District autonomous council executive member (in-charge PHE) Bidya Singh Rangpi said according to information, all Hamren schemes are running smoothly and people are getting water regularly.

“I will take action if anybody is found misguiding the council authority. Negligence will not be tolerated,” Rangpi told this correspondent over phone.