Electorate angry over Bakrapara's water woes

GUWAHATI: Hiranya Kumar Sharma, 66, is a dejected man today though he was an enthusiastic voter in the past three assembly elections. He is angry with the government which has failed to provide proper drainage in Bakrapara area along the Assam-Meghalaya border where 12 primary schools go under water every time there is a heavy shower. The area is just 3 km from the official residence of the chief minister and 6 km from the state secretariat.
What's more, the area also suffers from acute drinking water problem.In March and April when the ground water level dips, streams become the only source of sustenance for people in Sivanagar, Japorigog, Narengi and the hills where water supply schemes are yet to be implemented.
"About 12 lower primary schools become inaccessible every year after rains," said Hiranya Sharma, president of Greater Bakrapara Central Development Committee.
Bakrapara and its adjoining areas like Lesia, Pilingkata and Nabodoy Nagar, though under Dispur constituency, have not experienced much development. Locals said their representatives have done nothing to mitigate their problems. Social welfare minister, Akon Bora, represents Dispur. "Bora is not addressing our problems, especially water-logging. He claims people of our locality did not help him in the last assembly election," claimed Gopal Goswami, another senior citizen whose boundary walls were damaged by a stream flowing from Meghalaya.
"Children here cannot go to school because of water-logging. Not everyone can afford to send their children to private schools outside the area which anyway ask for huge fees," said Goswami. Although the streams create havoc in the area, the government has not initiated any damage control measures. "No drainage system exists here," said Hiranya Kumar Sharma, another local.
"A single bout of shower in the hills of Meghalaya is enough to inundate our area. The nine streams put together wreak havoc with flash floods and water-logging disrupting normal life," said Ratan Deb, another local of Bakrapara. Apart from loss of school days, the children are also subjected to health problems. Many water-borne diseases surface during this time. Not a single drain has been constructed to clear this accumulating water which affects nearly a lakh people.
"We submitted many complaints to Bora but he did not act," said a local.
Akon Bora and former MLA Atul Bora of the AGP are the main contenders for this seat. Social activist Biren Sharma got a nomination from the CPM.