Guwahati waiting to become Dima Hasao?

The Guwahati Development Department has, in its mission statement on 'Mission Flood-Free Guwahati' admitted that unplanned expansion of the city and increasing population has led to severe encroachment in the wetlands, and low-lying areas, hills and shrinkage of forest cover. These denuded hills and loss of wetlands thus leading to artificial floods and water-logging. Immediately after every downpour, the drains get filled up with silts coming with stormwater from the denuded hills flooding the city. The wetlands also cannot retain the city's excess stormwater. It has been admitted that Guwahati's urban flooding scenario has drastically changed for the worse in the last decade. The rapidly developing metropolitan environment has indiscriminately gulped down the large vacant lands, natural drainages, hills, wetlands and forests. Some roads have no side drains at all, while the gradient and storm discharge conveyance are practically non-existent. Unfortunately, it is the government that is solely responsible for reducing Guwahati to this state. It all began with hurriedly shifting the capital from Shillong to Dispur in 1972. While a government headed by a Chief Minister who totally lacked foresight and modern ideas and concept was the original culprit, it is very unfortunate that Guwahati has been repeatedly murdered by a long queue of culprits who are more dangerous than the first one. A study or survey will reveal how most of the prime hills, wetlands and drainage channels have been systematically occupied by a nexus of powerful people – mostly comprising politicians, ministers and bureaucrats. This powerful nexus has systematically converted wetlands, hills and forests into patta land. It is a fact that a large number of poor people have also encroached upon Guwahati's hills and wetlands. But, one can easily identify the politicians behind such encroachments, especially when the authorities occasionally make a half-hearted attempt to clear some such encroachments. The authorities have identified 366 vulnerable landslide-prone zones in Guwahati's hills. Of them 77 are in Sunchali hill, 40 in Noonmati, 37 in Kharghuli, 33 in Khanapara-Panjabari, 31 in Narangi, 30 in Hengerabari, 25 in Kahilipara, 20 in Santipur, 14 in Narakasur hill, nine in Garbhanga, eight in Maligaon, seven in Kalapahar, six each in Gotanagar and Nabagraha, five each in Fatasil, Kamakhya-Nilachal, Sarania and Koina-Dhora, two in Jalukbari- Lankeshwar and one in Sukreswar area. Given this vulnerability, days are not far away when Guwahati will experience a kind of disaster which had recently occurred in Dima Hasao. Is the government prepared?