Letters to the Editor: Guwahati’s drainage crisis

Guwahati’s drainage crisis

Guwahati’s recurring drainage crisis is not a natural disaster; it's the predictable result of careless urbanization and ecological neglect. Year after year, heavy rainfall exposes a system that was never designed to handle the pressure of rapid population growth, shrinking wetlands, and unplanned construction. The city’s natural drainage channels have been choked, diverted, or erased, while outdated engineering solutions continue to fail in modern climatic realities. What is most alarming is not the flooding itself but the continued reliance on temporary fixes instead of long-term planning. Pumping out water after every downpour is not a solution; it's an admission of systemic failure. Guwahati urgently needs a scientifically designed drainage master plan that respects its natural geography. Wetlands must be restored, not encroached upon. Hills must be protected, not stripped bare for expansion. This crisis demands a shift in mindset from reactive governance to proactive, sustainable planning. Without integrating ecological wisdom with modern engineering, Guwahati risks turning every monsoon into a man-made disaster. The time for half measures is over.

Aditya Kamble,

(adiikamble16@gmail.com)

A doomed city

The sobriquet “doomed city” for Guwahati is not hyperbole. The tragic death of Payel Nath, who fell into an uncovered manhole during Sunday’s flash floods, is not isolated — waterlogging-induced deaths carry a grim history spanning the last three decades. It's important to note that the real monsoons have not yet arrived.

Guwahati’s hilly-plain geography naturally channels water downward, yet a manageable phenomenon has become a recurring disaster. Government agencies like PWD, GMC, and GMDA operate without clear mandates, breeding confusion and buck-passing. The Chief Minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma, who has held the PWD portfolio for years, is accountable to the citizens. Thousands of mature trees are felled for flyovers without thought for viable alternatives. Ironically, the Ahom kings built water reservoirs to protect this land; successive governments have built a consortium of real estate instead.

Deepor Beel, the city’s largest stormwater reservoir, is being pushed to the brink by government-endorsed construction. Civic indiscipline resulting in garbage choking stormwater drains worsens the crisis further. Development has become synonymous with brick and mortar alone. Unless governance is streamlined, laws enforced without compromise, and citizens held accountable, Guwahati is surely doomed.

Shahin Yusuf

Guwahati.

Deathtraps in Guwahati: Why are authorities silent?

The news article 'Deathtraps in Guwahati: Open drains continue to kill', published in your esteemed daily on April 21, has drawn our sharp attention. The situation is akin to what this adage conveys: 'from the frying pan to the fire'. During every monsoon, open drains, uncovered manholes and poorly secured construction pits have posed a serious threat to human lives in many parts of the city. The latest victim is Payal Nath, who died in last Sunday's heavy downpour and flooding after getting swept into an open drain. It has highlighted the shocking inertia and inefficiency of the authorities and the state government as a whole. Previously, many individuals and children had fallen victim to similar incidents, as the city's numerous waterlogged streets and bye-lanes conceal hazards after heavy rainfall, effectively transforming them into invisible death zones. The dangerous stretches of drainage infrastructure remain exposed across the city, despite the authorities' promise to fix them. As a result, the menace has triggered public outrage and raised serious questions about its accountability. Now a burning question on everyone's lips is, how long will the citizens continue to suffer due to widespread apathy of the civic body? Is there any solid answer? Enough is enough. Unless the authorities rise to the occasion and take urgent corrective measures like identifying open drainage satellite imagery and stringent action to prevent the rising theft of manholes before the real monsoons set in, fatalities will continue, and the question keeps growing louder: how many more deaths will it take every year before the city drains are made safe for pedestrians?. Let us think about a sensitive and scientific development approach without harming the natural environment.

Iqbal Saikia,

Guwahati.

Polluted City of Chaos

We sometimes go for various purposes to the city of Guwahati. Guwahati city is the education hub of the northeast, and there are so many tourist places to visit. Many foreign tourists come to the city for visiting the places. Nowadays, Guwahati City is polluted and has lost its charm. The internal connection between the human world and nature means that irrelevant human activities can severely affect the natural world due to further degradation, soil erosion, devastation of forest areas, and an unbalanced natural atmosphere. The city's air quality is very poor and hazardous in its situation. Based on recent reports, Guwahati has emerged as one of the most polluted cities in the world. Guwahati is labelled as the second most polluted city in the world in the 2023-24 World Air Quality Report, with PM2.5 levels over 20 times higher than WHO safety norms. On the other hand, chronic traffic chaos causes difficulty in arriving at places in proper time. Excessive chaos can pose a danger to the lives of serious patients. On-street parking, mismanagement, and construction of flyovers further choke roads. Overcrowding of vehicles, unregulated transport systems and narrow roads are the reasons for the chaotic situation of the city. This is a very erratic situation to handle, and it messes up the lives of the public. However, the primary goal of city life should be to simplify the lives of its residents. But the pollution can cause allergic reactions, fever, nausea, skin irritation, etc. Health is wealth. Healthy people are blessings for the nation. The rising level of air pollution has become a threat to public health. If these problems continue, the quality of life for the citizens will further decline. Therefore, the government and the public must work together to control pollution and improve traffic management. Public awareness about environmental protection is very important. A clean and healthy environment will ensure a better future for the people. Only through collective effort can the lost charm of Guwahati be restored.

Satabdi Sarmah

Nagaon