Staff Reporter
GUWAHATI: Worried over floods in Guwahati, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma today said that the government is going to take Rs 200 crore projects to mitigate the menace in the metropolitan city.
The Chief Minister said, “The floods in Guwahati are due to climate change and other reasons. We’re focusing on creating resilient infrastructure to tackle this challenge. We have taken up various projects of Rs 200 crore in the coming days to help resolve this important issue.”
According to the plan, the government is going to construct storm water drains at stretches from Boragaon to Deepor Beel, Juripar to Silsaku, Khanapara to Basistha Chariali, etc. Apart from these, the government is going to erect flood protection walls along the Bahini river from Pibco to Janata Bhawan, besides monitoring hills around Guwahati for assessment for flood damage, earth cutting of hills, encroachments, etc.
The flood problems have been severe in Guwahati in the past five years with the inundation of newer areas. One of the reasons behind floods in the city is the construction of houses in a haphazard manner. Apartments have bobbed up in once lowland areas through earthfilling.
Another menace that has aggravated the waterlogging problem in Guwahati is the construction of newer residential areas where houses bob up without following any scientific plans. The GMC and the GMDA need to monitor the width of the drainage systems, roads, plinth height of the houses, and the like in such areas. However, these two agencies look the other way, leading to the haphazard construction of houses that aggravate the menace of artificial foods in the city.
The most important point is the unscientific drainage system in the metropolitan city. The departments concerned make drains and repair them without resorting to conducting any scientific surveys. The drains do not have the required carrying capacity, leading to overflow at the slightest of a shower and submergence of roads and residential areas. The clogged drains are often left without cleaning them. Most of the drains also have obstacles like electric posts.
An expert said that the joining of sub-drains to the main drains should not be perpendicular, as that obstructs the flow of water between the sub-drains and the main drains. Sub-drains should bend a bit to meet the main drains so as to go with the flow of the main drains without obstructing it.
Also watch: