Silchar: Pollution in Anua Beel has raised concerns over the quality of drinking water supplied to residents across the Tarapur-Ramnagar area.Management committees of nine water supply projects recently sought urgent measures to address the worsening condition of the wetland, a key raw-water source for the area.Representatives submitted a memorandum to Silchar MLA Rajdeep Roy, alleging that unchecked growth of water hyacinth and the accumulation of garbage and decomposing waste have sharply deteriorated the beel’s water quality.Pollution has affected all nine water supply projects that depend on the wetland, prompting the committees to demand their permanent relocation to the Barak River for raw-water intake.The beel’s condition has also put a govt-funded tourism initiative under scrutiny. A floating boat was commissioned at Ramnagar Anua at a cost of Rs 30 lakh as part of a plan to develop the area as an eco-tourism destination.Another Rs 14.93 lakh was sanctioned to construct a concrete platform along the bank and undertake environmental improvement works. The project was expected to attract tourists, boost economic activity and generate livelihood opportunities for residents.However, the initiative failed to take off, while pollution and poor maintenance continued to damage the wetland’s ecological condition.The committees sought immediate cleaning and restoration of the beel, removal of water hyacinth and accumulated waste, and regular water-quality monitoring until an alternative intake system from Barak river is established.
