Guwahati waterlogged again, people stranded

Guwahati: A morning shower on Tuesday left parts of the city waterlogged, throwing life into disarray. Service roads went under water, traffic slowed to a crawl, commuters spent hours stranded, while pedestrians waded through flooded streets.By afternoon, areas such as Pandu, Rukminigaon, Nabin Nagar, Anil Nagar, Ambari, Chandmari were completely submerged. At several locations vehicles were stranded, and two-wheelers broke down in knee deep water. “I have been stranded here for two hours, but the vehicle movement has frozen. I have not gotten any passenger till now,” said Kamal Das, a autorickshaw driver stuck in the Pandu area due to floods.At a time when the city is gearing up for Durga Puja festivities, the situation in Rukminigaon, near Dispur, presents a stark contrast. Residents found themselves confined indoors on Tuesday, unable to venture out.“Instead of preparing for celebrations, we are busy flushing out water from our houses. Govt too seems helpless, as years of encroachment and unplanned development have caught up with us,” said Ranjan Kalita, a Rukminigaon local.