Manmade landslide risks on Guwahati hillslopes

Illegal encroachment on the hills and unauthorised hill cutting in Guwahati aggravating the waterlogging problem in the city is baffling, as solutions are known to the authorities and residents. The city grappling with the recurring problem of waterlogging in areas along the foothills during the monsoon period is a manifestation of the failure to enforce land use zoning regulations and civic apathy towards the conservation of greenery on the hills. Way back in 2009, the Master Plan for Guwahati Metropolitan Area 2025 noted that the construction on the hills in the city had resulted in the removal of vegetation cover in the forest areas and exposed surfaces. The soil loss on the exposed slopes is 60 times greater than on the slopes with vegetation cover, it points out. This is indicative of the magnitude of the problem now, when encroachment and illegal hill cutting continued unabated even after the Master Plan highlighted the gravity of the situation. The Master Plan states: “The problem of soil erosion is significant not only from the viewpoint of loss of soil fertility but also from many environmental issues like water logging, flash floods, a decrease in groundwater table, and a dusty environment.” The remedies suggested in it include conservation of forest areas by prohibiting any further development whatsoever, halting the cutting of trees and encroachment, and undertaking massive afforestation. The serenity of the lush green cover of the hills has been pierced by the construction of numerous unauthorised dwelling houses. Increased illumination apparent from residential and other buildings in more areas of the city hills compared to near total darkness decades earlier also speaks volumes about the unplanned construction destroying the hill slopes and hill forest cover. The city authorities looked the other way and allowed the illegal construction to continue. The authorities ritualistically take note of the aggravating situation only when incidents of landslides on the hills during heavy rains claim a few lives and displace some residents, but forget about it soon after. The absence of follow-up action to prevent unauthorised settlement, particularly in risk-prone areas, points towards a systemic gap that needs to be addressed urgently. Illegal settlers too fail to realise the gravity of the situation and ignore appeals by the city authorities and caution by experts, even after lives are lost or properties are destroyed in landslide events. Ironically, the Master Plan categorised the hills and waterbodies of the city as Eco-sensitive zones with no urban developments. As the hill cutting continues, it poses the problem of desilting water bodies and city drains unsustainable as a solution in the long run. The rate of siltation due to blockade of hill watersheds on account of unplanned and unauthorized construction exceeds the pace at which resources available for desilting operations have increased. The daytime population of the city, with a 10% floating population, is projected to increase to 22.94 lakh in 2025. The additional dwelling housing need is projected to be around 2.78 lakh units. Failure to create additional dwellings in the city’s plains will only lead to more encroachment of the hills and hillocks to meet the housing demand. Rising transportation costs are another factor influencing the unauthorized construction of low-cost dwelling houses on the hills, as the workforce prefers to live close to their workplace to cut down on travel costs and time. This has resulted in more cutting of hill slopes, destruction of watersheds, and an increase in sedimentation during the discharge of surface runoff during rainy seasons. The window of opportunity to deal with the problem is closing fast, which requires all stakeholders, including city residents, to act fast before it aggravates to an unmanageable scale. A large-scale migration of low-paid workers of the commercial establishments, including shopping malls, restaurants, hotels, private hospitals, fast-moving consumer goods marketing companies, the construction sector, etc., has pushed the demand for low-cost accommodation. This has led to increased encroachment on the hills and waterbodies. Evicting the encroachers without finding a permanent solution to meeting their housing needs and the city’s rising demand for a service sector workforce cannot provide a lasting solution. The population and housing pressure on the city will continue to increase because of its geo-strategic location as the hub of business and commercial activities in the entire northeastern region. It is only poised to increase once all the transborder connectivity projects initiated by India to connect the northeast region with ASEAN, BIMSTEC, and BBIN countries are fully operationalized. Conservation of forests and natural watersheds on the hills is an urgent need of the hour. With a vast and growing population, this is a task that cannot be left alone for the city authorities. Public apathy towards conservation of the city hills and wetlands must end at the earliest. The city residents volunteering against encroachment can help the authorities take timely action to mitigate rain-induced and man-made landslide risks.