Residents urge district administration to clear drains, channels

Guwahati: Haunted by memories of artificial flooding and waterlogged roads, a regular feature of the monsoon in the city, residents have urged the Kamrup (Metro) district administration and Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) to begin clearing drains and water channels soon.
For the past several years, the city has borne the brunt of waterlogging during the monsoon.In 2014 alone, floods and landslides killed nine people. Last year saw a slight improvement with major roads of the city escaping waterlogging and this was attributed to the district administration's foresight as officials had adopted a series of measures to unclog drains and water channels, including the Bharalu and Bahini rivers, during summer.
"There are several areas the administration needs to focus on. Keeping drains and water channels clear is the most important. Once the monsoon starts, clearing them will be difficult," said Ranjan Das, a retired state government engineer.
"The officials of the district administration and other government agencies did their best to bring down water levels last year. The suffering of residents was less. Similarly, this year, too, we are doing our best curb floods," said deputy commissioner M Angamuthu.
Though most areas witnessed little waterlogging last year, some areas experienced artificial floods for the first time. Residents of Panjabari road and adjoining areas complained that waterlogging in the neighbourhood was new. "Last year, we faced some waterlogging, but it's getting worse by the day. Even rain for a few minutes can flood the roads here. The water comes from higher areas nearby," said Jayanta Goswami, a resident of Panjabari.
Besides clogged drains, rainwater coming down from the hills of Meghalaya adds to the drainage problem, especially in Jorabat. The Kamrup (Metro) administration has taken up the issue with Meghalaya's Ri Bhoi district, Angamuthu added.