Arsenic-hit Kuruwabahi in Bokakhat without safe water as tanker stops

Residents of Kuruwabahi in Bokakhat, in Assam's Golaghat district, are again without a reliable supply of safe drinking water after a temporary tanker service was suspended, while Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) schemes in the area are reportedly not functioning, The Sentinel reported on Monday.

Groundwater sources in Kuruwabahi have been found to contain 300 to 350 micrograms of arsenic per litre. The permissible limit for drinking water is 10 micrograms per litre, which means the local water carries 30 to 35 times the safe level.

Tanker supply stopped

After public complaints, the former Co-District Commissioner of Bokakhat, Sujata Gogoi, had arranged for water to be supplied by tanker for nearly three months. A 3,000-litre tanker made four to five trips a day to different localities, though it could not reach every area daily.

That service has now been suspended for four days. According to sources quoted in the report, the Bokakhat division of the Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) halted it because it had no funds to buy fuel for the tanker. PHED has not publicly commented on the suspension.

Residents have asked why the department has neither restored the defunct piped water schemes nor kept the temporary supply going. They have urged the current Co-District Commissioner to step in and ensure an uninterrupted supply of safe water, and have warned of protests if the situation is not addressed.

Why arsenic matters

Long-term consumption of water with high arsenic levels is linked to serious health problems, including skin lesions, cancers, gastrointestinal illness, hair loss and adverse birth outcomes. The effects build up over years, which is why health experts stress that affected communities need a steady alternative source rather than occasional supply.

Bokakhat has faced arsenic contamination for some time. Earlier reports this year said arsenic-tainted water was endangering public health and also damaging rabi cultivation in the area.

The JJM question

The Jal Jeevan Mission aims to provide a functional household tap connection with safe drinking water to every rural home. In arsenic-affected pockets, that depends on treated or alternative sources such as surface water schemes or community treatment plants. Residents say the schemes in Kuruwabahi are not working, leaving them dependent on contaminated sources whenever the tanker stops.

Kuruwabahi, close to the Kaziranga landscape, has also been dealing with erosion by the Dhansiri river and other local infrastructure problems in recent months.

NEInsider will update this story if the district administration or PHED responds or the supply is restored.