STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: As Guwahati braces for another monsoon season, public anger is mounting over what residents and observers describe as a widening gap between the city’s “Smart City” branding and its harsh ground realities. Despite massive investments in flyovers, riverfront projects and beautification drives, core urban issues—flooding, unsafe infrastructure and poor basic services—continue to plague Assam’s largest city.
Senior citizen Dr A Baruah from Hatigaon expressed serious doubts over the effectiveness of flood mitigation measures. “The monsoon will start very soon. Every year we hear that the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) is spending crores on flood control. But the question is—will it actually work this time?” he said. Dr Baruah pointed out that despite repeated announcements under the ‘Mission Flood-Free Guwahati’ initiative, waterlogging remains a routine nightmare across the city.
Critics have long blamed the crisis on neglected drainage systems and the unchecked filling of wetlands, which once acted as natural water reservoirs. Even moderate to heavy rainfall continues to paralyse traffic, inundate homes and disrupt daily life, exposing what many describe as failures in urban planning.
Concerns over public safety have further intensified following a series of fatal accidents linked to uncovered drains, hanging electrical wires and construction debris left on public roads. These incidents have triggered widespread outrage, with residents accusing the Public Works Department (PWD) and private contractors of criminal negligence. Citizens argue that infrastructure projects are being executed without basic safety measures, putting lives at risk.
Questioning the utility of recent expenditures, another Hatigaon resident termed a newly installed traffic signal in the area a “waste of public money”, claiming it has failed to improve traffic flow or pedestrian safety. Similar sentiments were echoed by Kabir Bhagawati, who questioned the status of the much-publicized satellite mapping of city drains. “How far has the satellite mapping of drains actually progressed? All they seem to know is how to spend money for show,” he said, recalling last year’s tragic death of a child who fell into an open drain.
Residents across localities such as Hatigaon and Rukminigaon continue to demand accountability from the GMC and allied agencies, urging them to prioritize sanitation, road safety and flood management over cosmetic beautification projects.
Kallol Das, a resident of Rukminigaon, challenged the administration’s claims, alleging that city drains have not been properly cleaned for nearly a decade despite crores of rupees being allocated under the Smart City project. “Without a proper underground sewerage system, Guwahati cannot be called a smart city,” he asserted.
Urban planners and civil society members argue that current development efforts largely benefit a small, affluent section of society, while the majority of residents bear the brunt of environmental degradation, waterlogging and unsafe infrastructure. As monsoon clouds gather once again, Guwahati’s residents are left asking whether the city’s transformation is truly about smart solutions—or merely smart slogans.
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