STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: Slamming the slow pace of pre-monsoon preparations, residents across several parts of Guwahati have raised fresh concerns over the city's persistent waterlogging problem after a brief spell of rain once again left streets inundated in multiple neighbourhoods.
Though the monsoon is yet to arrive, even a short period of rainfall was enough to trigger familiar worries in localities such as Hatigaon, Kahilipara, Wireless and Ajanta Path, where residents fear that moderate showers during the monsoon could once again lead to severe waterlogging.
The situation has revived a long-standing question that continues to haunt the city every year - why Guwahati continues to flood despite repeated promises of drainage improvements and flood mitigation projects.
While the government has initiated several measures, including flood mitigation works along the Bahini River basin, residents say the ground reality remains largely unchanged. A resident of Hatigaon expressed frustration over the condition of the drains and the lack of strict action against people who dump garbage into them.
"People openly dump waste straight into the drains as if they were dustbins. Plastic bags, food waste, bottles - everything gets thrown inside. Once it goes in, it stays there and blocks the flow of water," the resident said.
Another resident from Wireless said that proper cleaning inside the drains rarely takes place.
"We hardly see anyone removing garbage from inside the drains. Sometimes workers clear the surface, but the waste stuck deeper inside remains untouched. When it rains, the water has nowhere to go," he said. Echoing similar concerns, a resident of Rukminigaon said stricter enforcement and heavy penalties are needed to stop people from dumping garbage into drains.
"If people throw garbage into drains, authorities should fine them heavily. Without penalties, nobody will stop. We keep suffering every monsoon because of this careless behaviour," he said. Another resident pointed out that many drains remain clogged for months at a time.
"We have seen these drains clogged for almost a year. Authorities clean them only once a year. Because of this, urban flooding still happens and haunts us every year," he said.
Officials of the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC), however, attributed the delay in drain-cleaning work to issues related to the tender process. A GMC official said the department itself was surprised by the sudden waterlogging following the rainfall. However, a senior official also blamed public behaviour for worsening the situation.
"People clog the drains with garbage. What is the use of cleaning early if the drains get filled again?" the official said, adding that such practices discourage early cleaning efforts.