STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: Yet another spell of moderate to heavy rainfall brought Guwahati to a standstill on Saturday, with artificial flooding disrupting normal life across several parts of the city. While major arterial roads such as GS Road remained largely free from prolonged waterlogging, several residential localities and interior roads were inundated, triggering fresh public outrage over the city’s recurring flood crisis.
Waterlogging was reported in Panjabari, Zoo Road, Hatigaon, Beltola, Rukminigaon, Bamunimaidan, Kahilipara, Maligaon, the Guwahati Club area, West Boragaon, Anil Nagar and Nabin Nagar, among other places. In West Boragaon, residents continued to wade through knee-deep water as floodwater failed to recede even hours after the rain. In Maligaon, floodwater swept away a motorcycle carrying two riders, though both escaped without serious injuries.
Residents of Panjabari said drains overflowed within minutes of the downpour. “The drains suddenly filled up and water started overflowing onto the streets. Within minutes, the entire area looked like a river. We face the same nightmare every monsoon,” said local resident Ranjit Kalita.
Officials attributed the situation to heavy rainfall coupled with runoff from the Meghalaya hills. Over the past few months, authorities have undertaken large-scale desiltation, removed encroachments along major water channels and implemented other flood mitigation measures. The absence of waterlogging on GS Road and several commercial stretches was seen as a positive outcome of these efforts.
However, residents argued that keeping only the city’s main roads operational cannot be treated as a complete success while people living in residential neighbourhoods continue to suffer.
“It is good that GS Road did not go under water, but what about the people in the bylanes? We cannot leave our homes whenever it rains. It feels like only the visible parts of the city matter,” said Priyanka Das, a resident of Anil Nagar.
Another commuter, Abdul Rahman of Maligaon, expressed frustration, saying, “Every year we hear about crores being spent on drainage improvement, yet there is hardly any locality left that does not experience waterlogging. Artificial flooding has now become the new normal for Guwahati.”
With the rain continuing to expose vulnerable pockets across the city, residents said the focus must shift from protecting only arterial roads to ensuring comprehensive flood management for every neighbourhood.
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