As Dibrugarh heads to the polls, two issues have come to define the tenure of four-time MLA Prasanta Phukan, who has represented the constituency since 2006 — persistent waterlogging and the long-pending renovation of the Dibrugarh Town Protection (DTP) drain.
Year after year, residents of the city — designated as Assam's second capital after Dispur — face the same flooding problems when the rains arrive, with little sign of a lasting fix.
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The DTP drain, constructed in 1954, was built to prevent flooding across the city and serves as the primary outlet for rainwater from all 22 wards of Dibrugarh. But at over seven decades old, the infrastructure is struggling to meet the demands of a rapidly growing urban centre.
Rapid urbanisation, increased concrete surfaces, and more intense rainfall events linked to climate change have placed mounting pressure on the ageing system. The accumulation of silt, garbage, and aquatic vegetation has further reduced its carrying capacity, worsening flooding in low-lying parts of the city.
Local resident Ramen Deka did not mince words about the state of the city's drainage infrastructure.
"We need a scientific way to solve the waterlogging problem of Dibrugarh. The city has been declared the second capital after Dispur, but the drains are not up to the mark. The overall drainage system of the city is poor," he said, adding that steps taken by the Dibrugarh Municipal Corporation have fallen short of what is needed.
Another resident, Pranjal Khound, acknowledged the MLA's contributions to infrastructure development while pointing to this one glaring gap.
"Dibrugarh MLA Prasanta Phukan has done a lot of work in infrastructure development, but he has failed to solve the waterlogging problem of the city. We urge that this be prioritized after elections," Khound said.
With elections approaching, waterlogging has emerged as a key accountability issue for voters in Dibrugarh — a problem that has outlasted multiple terms of representation and remained unresolved despite the city's growing importance in Assam's political and administrative landscape.