Flash flood in Jorhat
Monsoon meant relief from the heat of summer, ploughing and sowing in the fields, petrichor, tea and snacks. But for Jorhatians, rain has prevented the effortless escape of rainwater from residential areas, making the occurrence of artificial inundation turn the streets, and the same people who littered the drains are a nightmare this season. It took just one heavy shower to bring the bustling city under knee-deep water and halt everything last Sunday. From Baruah Charilai to Na-ali, all that was visible were the sights of bikes, cars and pedestrians wading through the unwanted waters over the roads and footpaths. While flash floods with less severity were common in many places, people came out in groups and assessed the situation; in others, some were seen expressing their fears and dismay over the predicament. In Jorhat previously, several high areas like Sadar, Sonari Gaon, Lichubari and Rajabari experienced waterlogging for the first time, exposing the catastrophe of rapid urbanisation. In many places, people came out in groups and took stock of the situation; in others, some were seen expressing their fears and dismay over the predicament, which was hitherto imagined as an issue limited only to Guwahati. Shovels were in the streets, and the same people who littered the drains were seen cleaning them. More than anger and frustration, remorse was evident on every Jorhatian's face as they realised that they were largely responsible for this sudden deluge. Reducing wetlands, blocked drains, and unplanned and illegal construction has prevented the effortless escape of rainwater from the residential areas, making the occurrence of artificial inundation regular in urban setups. Drains are there, but if one lifts a slab, he will discover nothing except a stockpile of solid waste lying there, thrown by someone like him. Our uncouth civic habits are the primary reason for the current flooding in our cities. The use of super suckers and pump machines to remove water from flooded areas will be ineffective, and temporary flooding during the rainy season will become unavoidable if we do not properly dispose of our household waste and refrain from throwing plastics and other non-degradable materials into drains and wetlands. Moreover, the government’s city planning should be guided by clear objectives and financial commitments for avoiding failures in dealing with the havoc of flash floods and keeping normal life going during the monsoon.
Kabir Ahmed Saikia
Rajabari, Jorhat
Controversy-shrouded FIFA World Cup
A FIFA World Cup (WC) shrouded in numerous controversies (one of the major US President Donald Trump’s friendships with FIFA supremo Gianni Infantino to change US player Folarin Balogun’s suspension order and his forceful presence on the podium drew heavy boos from fans inside the stadium, blending high-stakes international politics directly into Spain's coronation) as well as many magical moments, ended in a blaze of glory for Spain, who beat defending champions Argentina in a one-sided final, though in record it’s one goal, but on one side the valiant efforts of Argentine goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez and on the other side football lovers were shocked to witness how throughout the FIFA 2026 tournament the refereeing decisions heavily leaned in favour of Argentina (for instance, the 3-2 victory over Egypt or the stormy 2-1 semifinal against England and in the final Spain's Nico Williams' genuine goal was disallowed in the first half of the extra time), Messi in particular.
Though in the final Argentina’s brutal methods totally failed Spain, who in its 120-minute game delighted the 'Mother of the Game' football lovers with their tiki-taka style of short passing, always remember, but never forget, the expanding to 48 teams WC in which 5.32 lakh-populated Cape Verde was the toast of the world to reach the knockout stage, even securing a memorable 0-0 group-stage draw against eventual winners Spain before bravely falling 3-2 to Argentina in the round of 32.
Regardless of the circumstances, this WC bids farewell to both the great Lionel Messi and Portugal’s Ronaldo without any medals, despite the success of this 23rd edition of the FIFA WC.
Bidyut Kumar Chatterjee
(bkchatterjee9@gmail.com)
School dropouts
When we know that India is a developing nation and education remains one of the most powerful instruments of a nation's progress, then it should be the most important duty of the present state government to remove deficiencies on the path of secondary education. As Nelson Mandela said, "Education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change society." The Sunday news article 'Assam still lags behind the national average in dropouts, retention, and promotion in higher secondary enrolment' has drawn our attention. Here one must remember the fact that Assam's dropout rate at the secondary level is 14.3 per cent compared to the national average, which stands at 9.3 per cent. We don't understand that when all children move comfortably from primary to upper primary school, a significant number of students in the state fail to continue after Class VIII, especially after Class XI in the public schools. It is really a serious matter for the state's school educational development. One is also shocked to learn that Assam still trails the national average by 16.9 percentage points, making it one of the weakest indicators of school education performance. The most important task before the government now is to leverage technology to improve teaching quality, counselling, skill-orientated learning and community engagement to achieve the goal of zero dropouts. It is of utmost necessity to bridge the literacy divide between rural and urban youth and ensure equal access for marginalised communities. There is also a need to scale up educational reforms with further investment planned for school infrastructure, teacher training and student support systems. The recruitment of dedicated teachers must be accorded topmost priority in this age of digital transformation to facilitate the next generation's equipping with its knowledge and skills. It is now the collective responsibility of all stakeholders to sit for several brainstorming sessions to identify a solution to ensure every child completes secondary education across the state.
Iqbal Saikia,
Guwahati
CCTVs in
school buses
Approximately every fifteen minutes a child, school-going or otherwise, is molested or raped in the country. The strengthened Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO), 2012, seems to have had little impact. Against this backdrop, the Maharashtra government’s decision to make CCTV cameras compulsory in all school buses and vans with at least one month of backup data is most welcome. Furthermore, parents will be able to watch the live feed on their mobile apps.
A "digital safety monitoring system", which includes panic buttons and Global Positioning System (GPS) tracking, is being set up to make school transport for students safe, secure and transparent. It is incumbent upon the state to review compliance with its earlier order of May 2025 that made prompt offence reporting, a minimum of one woman staff member in school buses, staff scrutinisation and a compulsory police character certificate of the staff mandatory. Community participation in educating children about overall safety is equally important.
Dr Ganapathi Bhat
(gbhat13@gmail.com)