GUWAHATI: A day-long spell of rain on Monday inundated vast areas of Guwahati, leaving residents stranded in knee-deep floodwater and traffic jams.
Despite the Guwahati Municipal Corporation’s (GMC) claims of cleaning drains to control artificial floods, netizens and residents have expressed outrage.
The GMC’s project, initiated in March, aimed to clean drains and control artificial floods. However, residents claim that the project has failed to yield results, and the city’s drainage system remains inadequate, as the rain inundated almost every part of the city, including Chandmari, Zoo Road, Hatigaon, Rukmini Gaon, Beltola, Lachit Nagar, Maligaon, and low-lying areas like Anil Nagar and Nabin Nagar, which have been experiencing severe inundation.
One of the residents of Hatigaon said, “Since GMC has said they have cleaned the drainage system, but they have not. When floods inundated the city, we personally called the labourers, cleaned the drains, and found many sacks and plastics. And the minister, Ashok Singhal, did not come for the ground zero report till now. We feel shame to call the city a smart city.”
A resident of Rukmini Gaon said, “We feel fear when it rains, we want a permanent solution, questioning the GMC’s claims of Guwahati being a “smart city”.
Another resident of Anil Nagar said, “We demand a more effective solution to the city’s drainage problems. As the city struggles to cope with the aftermath of the floods, we urge the authorities to take the issue seriously and work towards a permanent solution.”
Another resident expressed dissatisfaction and said, “It’s a serious issue. After leaving for work, I couldn’t return home at night, and I’m sure many others are experiencing similar issues. Although I stayed at my sister’s house for the night, I had to return home today no matter what because our parents are at home and there’s been no electricity since last night. After the phone went dead, I couldn’t even talk to them. But how to get home now? After parking the car at a friend’s house, I tried many roads to get home—first walking, then getting on the garbage cart—and still couldn’t reach home. Finally, with the help of a boat arranged by the SDRF, I was able to reach home. While there is a lot of frustration and anger towards the government, I still want to thank those who are working in this situation, the friend who arranged the boat after I called, the workers who are taking people home by boat since last night, and those providing drinking water and food. Thanks to those loyal officials who are working right now. I hope the higher-ups are watching. Please take this seriously and don’t only address it during the monsoon season.”
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