Heavy rain exposes Dibrugarh drainage system
A CORRESPONDENT
DIBRUGARH: Rampant encroachment of the Dibrugarh Town Protection (DTP) Drain has once again been blamed for massive waterlogging in Dibrugarh after heavy rainfall inundated several parts of the town on Wednesday morning.
A major spell of the monsoon exposed the fragile state of the town’s urban infrastructure as an intense three-hour downpour submerged nearly half of the city, paralysed traffic, flooded hundreds of homes and reignited public outrage over Dibrugarh’s chronic drainage crisis.
Rainfall that began around 7 am dumped more than 100 mm of rain within just three hours, overwhelming the city’s drainage network and leaving 11 of Dibrugarh’s 22 municipal wards under water. Major roads turned into virtual canals, forcing residents to wade through knee-deep water to reach workplaces, schools and markets.
“Rampant encroachment on the DTP Drain is the main reason for the recurring waterlogging in Dibrugarh. The government should immediately clear all encroachments along the drain,” alleged a resident.
Among the worst-affected areas was Mancotta Road near the Thana Chariali Flyover, where overflowing drains submerged long stretches of road, reducing traffic to a crawl. Severe waterlogging was also reported on A.T. Road, V.K.V. Road, Jail Road, RKB Road, Zig Zag Road, H.S. Road, K.C. Gogoi Road, Rotary Road, Red Cross Road, Cole Road, Jhalukpara Road, K.P. Road, P.N. Road and Convoy Road, disrupting normal life across the commercial hub.
Floodwater also entered hundreds of homes in Graham Bazar, Khalihamari, West Milannagar, Jiban Phukan Nagar, Lachit Nagar, Chowkidinghee, Santipara, Khaniagaon, Gangapara, Padum Nagar, Lakhi Nagar and Guardpara, leaving families scrambling to protect their belongings.
Officials of the Dibrugarh Municipal Corporation (DMC) said the unprecedented rainfall had overwhelmed the existing drainage infrastructure.
“More than 100 mm of rainfall was recorded within three hours. High-capacity pumps have been deployed to discharge excess water into the Brahmaputra River, and the situation is expected to improve as pumping continues,” a DMC official said.
However, residents alleged that the flooding was largely man-made, claiming that pre-monsoon desilting and drain-cleaning operations were inadequate. They said drains clogged with silt, plastic waste and water hyacinth were unable to carry the excess rainwater. The DTP Drain, the city’s principal stormwater channel, has become the focal point of the controversy. Residents claimed that years of illegal encroachment, unplanned construction and poor maintenance have significantly reduced its carrying capacity, making urban flooding inevitable during heavy rainfall. They also alleged that although eviction drives are conducted periodically, encroachers often return due to weak monitoring and enforcement.
“This is not just a natural disaster; it is a failure of governance. Every monsoon, the same roads are submerged because the drains remain blocked. Nothing changes,” said an aggrieved resident of Graham Bazar. Urban planners observed that while extreme rainfall events are becoming more frequent due to changing climate patterns, a properly maintained stormwater drainage system should be capable of handling such rainfall far more efficiently.
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