Floods from Meghalaya

It has been exactly eight months now since citizens of Guwahati faced an unprecedented flood on August 5 last year. There was just about an hour of heavy downpour, a cloudburst, as Met officials had said. And life in the city was crippled for about eighteen hours or so, especially with traffic coming to a standstill due to the inundation of most roads and localities, particularly in the southern part of Guwahati. While it is common knowledge that massive cutting of earth in the hills in and around the city is the most important and basic reason behind Guwahatians facing increased flood problems every passing year, it is also a fact that indiscriminate destruction of the hills inside those areas of Meghalaya which are adjoining the city is equally responsible for the floods. As far as the August 5 flood of last year is concerned, earth-cutting in Meghalaya must be considered the most important factor, one which was convincingly mentioned by the Assam chief minister immediately after an official assessment of the flood situation was made. But one must not forget that the encroachment of the hills and reserved forests on the Assam side of the National Highway between Khanapara and Jorabat is also equally responsible for flash floods in the city. But, while eight months have passed since the worst-ever floods in the city, nothing tangible has happened on the ground which is intended at tackling the situation if such a flash flood occurs again this monsoon season. The water channels coming down from Nine-Mile to Silsako Beel and from the Khanapara hills are full of garbage and silt, and so are the channels coming down from Basistha and Garbhanga. A heavy major shower at this moment will surely bring down huge volumes of garbage and silt, clog the water channels and cause a repeat of the August 5 situation of last year. Similarly, the water channels and drains which bring down rainwater, slush and rubbish from the Meghalaya hills to Silsako Beel and the Bahini River have also not been cleared of the silt which had settled down after last year’s flood.