Meghalaya hill cutting worsens flash floods in Guwahati: CM Himanta Biswa Sarma

Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI: Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that the setting up of private schools and universities by rampant earth-cutting on the hills of Meghalaya bordering the Kamrup (M) district has aggravated the menace of flash floods in Guwahati.

The Chief Minister said, "Had the then Assam Government taken up the issue of the setting up of a university, USTM, by cutting hills, with the then Meghalaya government, the present problem of flash floods in Guwahati would not have been so menacing. After USTM, DPS (Delhi Public School) also came up by cutting hills in Meghalaya. The cutting of the hills has made the rainwater from Meghalaya flow directly into Guwahati without any hindrances. The damage has already been done. For the sake of not repeating such mistakes in the future, I will take up the matter with Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma."

The Chief Minister said, "The existing drains and rivulets in Guwahati cannot carry the volume of water that comes from Meghalaya without any hindrance when there are heavy rains in Meghalaya and Guwahati. If we are to divert this water to Deepor Beel, we need big drainage systems that require the acquisition of vast areas of land and a huge amount of money, which the state government cannot afford. Anyway, we need an upgraded infrastructure for a robust discharge system to make Guwahati free from flash floods."

Meanwhile, Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Ashok Singhal reviewed the situation of flash floods at a meeting in Guwahati with the top officials of GMC, GMDA, Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban), the Directorate of Town and Country Planning, etc.

The meeting formed a special committee headed by the DC to take suggestions from the public, experts, and others on ways to mitigate the problem of artificial floods in Guwahati. The committee will submit the suggestions to be received from the public to the government.

The Directorate of Town and Country Planning conducted a satellite survey of roads, drainage, and sewerage systems in the flood-prone areas of Guwahati. Taking the survey report into account, Singhal sought suggestions from the experts on ways to pump out the water as soon as possible from the affected areas.

Also Read: Record rainfall in Ri-Bhoi, Guwahati on August 5: IMD (sentinelassam.com)

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