Gauhati HC Raises Concerns About Floods, Calls For Resolving Waterlogging

GUWAHATI: The Gauhati High Court today opined that the time has now come to deal with the menace of waterlogging in Guwahati and that the state is required to take steps to permanently resolve this problem.

The HC also took into account the traumatic events on August 5, when a two-hour spell of heavy rainfall resulted in the streets of the city getting flooded and paralyzed the lives of the city's residents in an unprecedented manner.

The observation was made by the bench of Chief Justice Vijay Bishnoi and Justice Suman Shyam while hearing a public interest litigation case (PIL/14/2024) filed by the North East Eco Development Society, raising concern about the persistent problem of waterlogging in the city of Guwahati.

In the order issued by the bench, the court granted some time to D. Saikia, Advocate General, Assam, to place on record the plan that is in existence and the future course of action to deal with the menace of waterlogging and flooding in Guwahati city by the next date of hearing by filing an affidavit on behalf of the Department of Housing and Urban Affairs (DOHUA), Government of Assam, through its Principal Secretary.

The bench heard S.U. Ahmed, counsel for the petitioner, N. Bordoloi, standing counsel of the state Revenue and Disaster Management Department and D. Gogoi, standing counsel of the Forest Department, before passing the order.

In a hearing in this PIL petition, the Court granted time to the counsel for the Revenue and Disaster Management Department, Assam, to file their response to the writ petition, and pursuant to that, the response was also filed.

It was also stated that, though the date was not fixed in this PIL, the matter was directed to be placed before the Court today on a mention made by K.N. Choudhury, senior counsel and President of the Gauhati Bar Association, yesterday.

Choudhury had invited the court's attention to the flood situation in Guwahati witnessed on August 5, 2024, while mentioning that the newspapers had also extensively reported the situation and the trauma faced by the citizens of the city.

Taking into consideration the factual situation, the bench offered the view that now the time has come to deal with the problem of water logging and flooding in Guwahati city and the state is required to take steps to permanently resolve this problem. As such, the bench asked D. Saikia to assist the court and asked K.N. Choudhury to assist the court as Amicus Curiae.

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