Assam floods: Drinking water scarcity causes major health hazard in river island Majuli

Scarcity of drinking water has surfaced as a major health hazard in the flood-hit river island Majuli. Marooned people resorting to contaminated sources for drinking water have caused a serious health concern in the largest river island in the world. “Though more than 160 villages of Majuli have been inundated in the flood for more than five days, only 13 relief camps have been built up till now,” complained a villager Deepak Bora, while speaking to Firstpost. [caption id=“attachment_2911562” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. PTI[/caption] A source in the office of the Deputy Commissioner said that there are only 1200 people in the camps. “More than one lakh people living in the island have been affected by the floods,” he added. “Disaster management agencies are still trying to reach out to people marooned in their homes and distribute food and other necessary items among them,” he further explained. “A very small segment of the affected people have been reached till now. Even fewer people have received drinking water bottles from the relief agencies,” said Deepak Bora. “Flood victims are compelled to depend on contaminated sources for drinking water,” he added. Majuli hardly has any public drinking water supply system. People mainly depend on ponds for drinking water. “Pond water is no more safe for drinking. Flood has contaminated most of these ponds. People are left with no option but to drink water from these sources,” Deepak Bora said. Sources in the Deputy Commissioner’s office said that the government is well aware of this hazard and is trying its best to tackle it. “The Deputy Commissioner has ordered 20 hand pumps to be set up in Majuli. Moreover, relief and rescue teams are also distributing point-of-use water purification system, such as halogen tablets,” said a source in the Deputy Commissioners office. Pitambor Debo Goswami, a renowned spiritual leader, stretched out a helping hand to the flood victims by distributing clothes and small sums of money. While speaking to flood victims, he said that the government has to find out permanent solution to the recurrent flood problem the river island has been facing. Apart from being the largest river island in the world, Majuli is also seen as the capital of rich Vaishnavite cultural and spiritual heritage of Assam. Recurring flood has not only posed threat to the life and livelihood of more than 2 lakh people living in Majuli but has also challenged the existence of more than 30 Sattras who practise Vaishnavite culture and tradition. Floods have ravaged more than 3000 hectares of farmland in Majuli and damaged a large number of roads, causing a standstill, when the swelling Brahmaputra breached an embankment in a place called Bongaon. Assam has been reeling under floods for the last five days. Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said that 16 lakh people across 19 districts of the state have been affected by flood this time around and it has claimed 12 lives till now. Torrential rains in Assam and its nearby hilly states of north east and also in neighbouring country Bhutan is said to have caused floods this time around in the state. Many of the rivers that flow through Assam have origin in the hills of Bhutan and neighbouring hilly states. Rains in the hills cause massive flooding in the plains of Assam.