Guwahati submerged yet again; power supply off in many areas

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: A few hours of heavy rainfall on Thursday brought Guwahati to a standstill once again, exposing the city’s persistent urban flooding problem and raising fresh questions over the effectiveness of repeated government assurances to make the city flood-resilient.

Major roads, residential areas and commercial hubs across the city were inundated after drains and sewers overflowed, turning busy streets into rivers and leaving thousands of commuters stranded during the evening rush hour.

Among the worst-affected areas were Six Mile, Khanapara, VIP Road, Geeta Mandir, Beltola and AIDC, where water levels rose to knee-deep in several locations. The Six Mile–Khanapara corridor, one of the city’s busiest arterial roads, remained heavily waterlogged, severely disrupting traffic entering and leaving Guwahati. Large stretches of VIP Road also went underwater, forcing vehicles to crawl through flooded sections, while several others broke down mid-journey.

The latest episode of urban flooding once again highlighted Guwahati’s long-standing drainage crisis. Despite repeated desiltation drives, flood mitigation projects and official assurances ahead of every monsoon, several key locations continue to experience severe waterlogging even after short spells of heavy rain. The flooding triggered massive traffic congestion across the city, with office-goers spending hours on the roads. Two-wheelers and smaller vehicles struggled to navigate submerged stretches, while many commuters were forced to wade through dirty floodwater to reach safer ground.

Residents expressed frustration, questioning why the city continues to endure the same situation every monsoon despite crores of rupees being spent on drainage improvement, desiltation and flood management projects. Many said the recurring flooding reflects shortcomings in urban planning, infrastructure maintenance and project implementation.

Overflowing drains also created serious safety hazards. Several footpaths disappeared beneath murky floodwater, making it difficult to identify open drains and manholes. As a precaution, electricity supply was temporarily suspended in some localities to prevent accidents. Teams from the district administration and the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) were deployed to drain out accumulated water and restore normalcy. However, with rainfall continuing in several parts of the city, officials cautioned that the situation could deteriorate further if the downpour persisted.

Thursday’s flooding has reignited public concern over Guwahati’s recurring urban flood crisis. Residents questioned why the same roads continue to be inundated year after year despite repeated reviews, high-level meetings and multiple infrastructure projects announced as long-term solutions.

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