When we talk about water it becomes more general than personal. For
example the flash flood of Guwahati-people will say flash flood
happens to all towns and cities. We should do something to solve a
particular problem instead of generalising it.

This happens to us. We live in Guwahati. In our area there is always
the problem of scarcity of water. We live with problems. We don't grow
because of this problem also. You will realise it when you will also
undergo such a problem.

You get up early and see the unclean bike. You feel grief; there is no
way to clean the bike as there is no water. When I open the tap and
wait until all the water collects, I see a little amount of water
there at the bottom of the big bucket. Then I have the thought in
mind. What shall I do with it? I have to clean the bowl, wash my face,
brush my teeth, clean the room, and clean the clothes and cook food.
The minimum requirements of water I need. I do not want much or extra.

Yes, I am in a rented house. For water scarcity I wrote a letter to
the editor that in our locality the urban water supply is very
insufficient. They cannot provide enough water for at least three/
four hours a day. They should supply it twice daily- in the morning
for two-three hours and in the evening for two /three hours.

I live alone. Sometimes my wife comes. My wife stays in Dhekiajuli.
She is a teacher of an LP School who passed the M.A. and TET exam. She
has not transferred to Guwahati yet.

The problem may be a small problem to those who have enough money and
can purchase drinking water daily. Every day I want to write
something. But every day due to this problem I feel upset and enraged.
Yes, in the rainy seasons when the well is filled with water we get
water for one month at least without problem. But for the rest
eleventh months- I have to think in the morning time whether I will do
exercise, wash the kitchen, wash the exercise kits, wash the curtains,
wash the bike, in the evening time whether I will go for a morning
walk, when a guest comes I will think how can I keep him for a day and
in this way the list is long. It is because for all action I require
water for example-after returning for evening walk I have to wash up
myself. Yes we are in a great problem, an over embracing problem which
hides all other problems.

Two personal sorrows associated with the problem. Once, my
mother-in-law came to our rented house. She wanted to stay one night
with her eldest daughter. Her younger daughter also lives in Guwahati.
When she told her wish to say-I promptly told her, 'Please stay with
your young daughter's house at least you would get water there. And we
did not know it was her last visit to our house. Because of a serious
disease she took her last breath a few months later. Still we feel
grief when we remember it.

Another such incident happened when my sister's husband was suffering
from illness. Sometimes I treated them roughly as we did not have
enough water. My brother-in-law also took his last breath a few months
later. These two are personal incidents relating to water.

Once I went to see the water supply tank. It is on a high hill nearby
our area. The water is drawn from the Brahmaputra River. There are
some big tanks where water is filtered. There was enough water stock
at that time. The govt. should employ double the persons who are at
present to get more water by the people living below. It should run
for more time. If more water pipes are needed then govt. should
arrange it. Without the sufficient water supply people's lives will
run in difficulty without remarkable progress where in every step
water is required.
*Dr Jintu Borah
The End

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