Staff reporter
Guwahati: As the Bhagadatta II flyover in Rukminigaon was inaugurated with grandeur on Sunday, just a few hundred metres away, a silent but striking protest took place at Pibco Point, where local residents voiced years of frustration over persistent flooding and civic neglect.
Nearly 70 residents gathered with placards reading, “Hey Bhagawan” and “We want drainage, not flyovers,” highlighting their anger over the administration’s failure to provide effective flood relief and drainage infrastructure.
“We wade through knee-deep water every monsoon,” said one resident while talking to The Sentinel. “Instead of resolving the drainage crisis, authorities are celebrating a flyover opening. What use is a flyover when people are drowning below it?”
Another protester shared, “Every spell of rain floods our roads and invades our homes. We’ve written complaints, made calls, even pleaded with officials — but nothing ever changes.”
Residents stated that Rukminigaon has faced severe waterlogging for years. Despite repeated appeals and hollow promises from concerned departments, no concrete or lasting solution has been put in place.
While some acknowledged the new flyover may ease traffic congestion, many felt it was a cosmetic solution. “It’s ironic — traffic above flows smoothly, while below, we can’t even reach our doorsteps without wading through floodwater,” said a commuter.
The silent protest stood as a reminder that large infrastructure projects lose meaning when they overlook the everyday struggles of local communities. Residents are demanding urgent, long-term flood management measures — warning that the current monsoon could once again bring devastation if authorities fail to act.
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