Jorabat floods: Where lies the solution?

A Correspondent

DIMORIA: Jorabat faced another disruptive morning as a sudden deluge submerged significant stretches of National Highway (NH-27) and NH-6, once again highlighting the area’s enduring battle against flash floods. Commuters faced hours of disruption, with the road towards upper Assam rendered impassable. While the Jorabat flyover provided a temporary reprieve for diverted traffic, local residents and businesses found themselves grappling with familiar challenges posed by the inundation. This recurrent issue, spanning over 15 years, has become a source of frustration for the community, prompting renewed calls for sustainable solutions.

Amidst the inundation aftermath, the Jorabat unit of All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) raised concern regarding unchecked hill-cutting activities in Meghalaya and Assam, exacerbating the flooding by obstructing drainage systems. Additionally, allegations have surfaced regarding the height of the culvert under the Jorabat flyover on NH-27. It is purported that the culvert’s low height, allegedly altered from the original plan, has contributed to drainage obstruction and exacerbated flooding.

Remarkably, while substantial investments were made by the administration in constructing culverts in Hastinapur and near the North-East Cancer Hospital and Research Institute in Jorabat a few years back to mitigate highway flooding, no similar initiative has been undertaken to address the height issue of the existing culvert in Jorabat itself.

Despite these challenges, there is renewed hope among residents with the announcement of the Guwahati ring road project passing through Jorabat. Residents, including AASU are emphatic in their call for meticulous planning to ensure the effectiveness of flood mitigation measures. They urged authorities not to overlook the plight of Jorabat residents and to prioritize addressing the area’s flood misery in the project’s implementation.

Also Read: Assam: Massive flooding triggered by overnight rains bring Guwahati city to a standstill (sentinelassam.com)

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