Sarma spells out steps taken by GDD to mitigate mece

Water-logging problem in Guwahati

By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, Sept 5: With steps taken by Dispur over the years to rid itself of rainwater and ruway water from Meghalaya failing to do anything worthwhile, GDD Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma informed the Assembly of fresh steps taken to mitigate the mece.

The issue of water-logging in Guwahati was raised with a written question on the floor of the Assam Assembly by AGP MLA Ramendra rayan Kalita on Tuesday. Water from Meghalaya hills floods Guwahati with standing water every monsoon and Dispur, despite assurance for solving the problem time and again, failed to do anything worthwhile. The AGP MLA wanted to know as to what steps, including short-term and long-term, the Guwahati Development Department (GDD) had taken to mitigate the mece. 

In his reply to the query, GDD Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said: “The tural water-carrying cals that ske through Guwahati are being dredged so as to increase their water-carrying capacity. Dredging removes all impediments that obstruct the free flow of water through the cals. The cals that are being dredged are Bharalu, Mora Bharalu, Bashisthajan, Bahini and Lakhimijan.”

On city drains choked with garbage and silt, Sarma said: “Silt being deposited in the city drains is being removed. This work will continue till October this year. This apart, the draige and sewerage system in the city is being developed. At Anil gar, bin gar and Lachit gar that are infamous for water-logging pumps have been put in place to pump water out. As many as eight pumps fitted with trolleys have been installed there.”

“On the problems with the water bodies in the city like Silsaku Beel, Pamohi, Bondajan, etc., artificial cals are being dug so as to drain out the rain and ruway water to the Brahmaputra through them. This works is going on now, and will continue,” the minister said.

Enumerating some of the long-term projects taken up by his department, Sarma said: “Some RCC sumps have been constructed at Anil gar and Lachit gar. To prevent water-logging in the Lalganesh area in the city, concrete drains are being constructed there. This is a fact that bulk of the water that floods Guwahati comes from the hills in Meghalaya. Such water from hills carries too much silt along with it. In order to stop the silt at various places, silt-stops have been constructed at various locations on the courses of such hilly streams.”

Sarma further said that the work of some concrete drains at Noonmati basin was over, and an extension work still lying there would be completed before the coming monsoon. “Many schemes have also been taken up to mitigate floods in city through PWD roads. Twenty-four such schemes have already been over, and works for 29 other schemes are underway. They’ll also be completed by March 2018,” he said. The main problem, the minister pointed out, that leads to frequent water-logging in Guwahati is the water that cascades down from Meghalaya hills and silt being carried to the city by such stream water. Such water also comes from the hills in the city.