Assam Govt assures of safe water at hiked prices

Guwahati, Feb 20 (UNI) The Assam Government today assured that water, supplied by the Assam Urban Water and Sewage Board, is pure and safe for drinking and ruled out rolling back the hike in water tariff.

Alarmed at the recent report of the health laboratory confirming high chemical content and improper treatment, state Urban Development Department Minister Dinesh Prasad Goala said the government would soon study the drinking water, supplied by the Board, and ensure that the consumers get water with proper chemical content and treatment.

'' We will take immediate measures to improve the chemical content of the water supplied by the Board, '' Mr Goala said on the sidelines of a function to lay the foundation of a new building of the Board.

On the recent hike in water tariff, he said it was necessary to hike power tariff and the prices of chemicals, used for water treatment.

'' The hike in tariff was necessary and we are taking every step to improve the services to the consumers. We are taking measures to augment the capacity of our supply to solve the scarcity as far as possible, '' he added.

The Minister further said, '' The water tariff of the Board was fixed way back in 1996. In the meantime, power tariff as well as chemical price has gone up. The Board hiked the water tariff from Rs seven per one thousand lt to Rs 18 per thousand lt. The Board supplies piped drinking water to over one lakh consumers in the state, including over 7000 water connections in the city. '' UNI SG SJC SY RN1750