Assam Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Kaushik Rai told the state Legislative Assembly on Thursday, 9 July that two long-delayed drinking water supply projects in Guwahati, funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), are on course for completion by December 2025 — more than a decade after construction began in March 2012. The disclosure came in response to a query raised by Congress MLA Rekibuddin Ahmed.

Current Progress on JICA-Funded Projects

The South-Central Guwahati Water Supply Project has achieved 96.75 per cent physical progress, while the North Guwahati Water Supply Project stands at 95.75 per cent completion, according to Minister Rai. Both projects were originally scheduled to wrap up within 36 months and 28 months of their respective start dates — timelines that were missed by several years.

A combined expenditure of ₹1,450.87 crore has been incurred on the two projects: ₹1,425.93 crore drawn from JICA assistance and ₹24.95 crore from the State-Owned Priority Development (SOPD) fund. The entire JICA loan component was utilised by December 2024, with residual works to be completed by end of 2026.

Households to Benefit

The South-Central Guwahati project is already supplying potable water to 83,569 households. The North Guwahati scheme, once fully operational, is expected to extend coverage to approximately 15,000 additional households. Surveys cited by the Minister indicate that Guwahati requires drinking water connections for roughly 2.21 lakh households in total, underscoring the scale of the unmet demand.

Other Water Supply Schemes Under Way

The Assembly was also informed about the status of three other ongoing projects. The South-West Guwahati Water Supply Project, being implemented by the Guwahati Jal Board since October 2023 at an estimated cost of ₹324.35 crore, has recorded 72 per cent progress and is scheduled for completion by mid-2027.

The South-East Guwahati Water Supply Project, backed by the New Development Bank (NDB), has completed 17 per cent of its first phase after work resumed in March 2025. The Asian Development Bank-supported initial phase had concluded in September 2021. The ₹192.46 crore project is targeted for completion by May 2029.

The Zoo Road Water Supply Scheme, commissioned in 1996 and transferred to the Guwahati Jal Board in 2015, has incurred expenditure of ₹75.39 crore and currently serves approximately 900 households.

Municipal Corporation Schemes and Sewerage Work

Beyond the Jal Board projects, the Guwahati Municipal Corporation operates water supply schemes at Panbazar, Satpukhuri, and Kamakhya. During the previous financial year, ₹3.52 crore was spent on these schemes, benefiting close to 21,000 consumers. Minister Rai also noted that the JICA-assisted Guwahati Sewerage Project is simultaneously in progress, adding another layer to the city's long-overdue urban infrastructure overhaul.

With multiple projects at advanced stages, the coming months will be a critical test of whether Guwahati can finally close the gap between its water supply capacity and the needs of its growing population.