Staff reporter
Guwahati: In a bid to address the long-standing issue of water-logging and urban flooding, the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) has initiated a large-scale drive to clean and de-silt more than 400 major drains across the city under the ambitious ‘Mission Flood-Free Guwahati City’ project. The initiative is part of a broader strategy to enhance the city’s drainage infrastructure and ensure effective water flow before the onset of the monsoon season.
The tendering process for the drain-cleaning project has already begun, and work is progressing at an accelerated pace, with de-silting operations currently underway in five major drainage channels. The initiative is being carried out in collaboration with the Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) and the Public Works Department (PWD), ensuring a coordinated approach to resolving the city’s persistent flooding concerns.
GMC’s efforts are being supplemented by the PWD, which has been tasked with cleaning an additional 263 drains, while GMDA is actively engaged in both constructing new drainage systems and maintaining the existing ones. To facilitate efficient cleaning, authorities are deploying advanced super sucker machines to remove silt, mud, and debris from critical drainage sections, including Bhutnath Main Road and GS Road—two of the city’s most flood-prone areas.
Highlighting the progress of the initiative, Guwahati Mayor Mrigen Sarania expressed confidence in completing the flood mitigation work on schedule. “The necessary work will be completed before the monsoon. After that, GMC will carry out maintenance until December, while PWD will clean each drain at least twice to prevent blockages,” he assured.
To ensure a holistic approach to flood mitigation, four key departments have been assigned specific responsibilities. GMC is assigned with the responsibility for de-silting major drainage channels such as Bharalu, Mora Bharalu, Basistha, Bahini, and Lakhimijan, along with feeder drains. PWD will handle road construction, stormwater drainage, and periodic maintenance of drain networks. GMDA will focus on the de-siltation of water bodies and the development of new drainage infrastructure, and Water Resources Department who will manages sluice gates and pumps to regulate water flow and prevent backflow-related flooding.
With these concerted efforts, the authorities aim to significantly reduce instances of artificial flooding and provide a long-term solution to Guwahati’s monsoon woes.
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