Drone survey on to mitigate urban flooding: State to HC

Guwahati: State govt submitted before the Gauhati high court through an affidavit that the Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS)-cum-drone survey for the drainage network of Guwahati, covering all six river basins, is being carried out and the hydraulic modelling study is also in progress to mitigate urban flooding.

The court of chief justice Ashutosh Kumar and justice Arun Dev Choudhury noted that the affidavit, sworn by the department of housing & urban affairs deputy secretary states that out of the six basins, the detailed project report (DPR) for the Bahini basin has been completed.


“A part of the project cost, amounting to Rs 183.99 crore under the Assam Urban Sector Development Project, has also been submitted and is proposed to be funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and that the drainage master plan is expected to be completed by Apr, 2026,” the court noted after pursuing the affidavit.

The court was hearing a PIL filed by North East Eco Development Society in 2024, flagging the issues related to the artificial flooding in the city, attributing this primarily to earth-cutting activities in and around the city.

In Oct last year, senior advocate KN Choudhury, who is the Amicus Curiae in the case, brought to the court’s notice the proposals for mitigating the problems and tackling artificial flooding in Guwahati, formulated by a retired IFS officer.

The suggestions by the retired IFS officer for controlling the problems, as stated in the Oct 24, 2025 order, include the detection of defective drainage through elevation profile analysis; digital terrain modelling for laying an efficient drainage system; river and stream rejuvenation and preparation of a comprehensive drainage map, among others.

Meanwhile, on the other hand, the high court has issued notice to the owner and principal of a city-based private school and directed them to immediately stop any construction works. The school authority has allegedly carried out construction works by cutting the hill adjacent to it without requisite permissions from authorities concerned.

The case will be heard on May 6.