Rains and drains

The rain god seems to be experimenting with the government and its various agencies responsible for implementing “Mission Flood Free Guwahati”, which was launched a few years ago with the objectives of ensuring that the citizens and taxpayers of the premier city of the Northeastern region do not suffer unnecessarily for no fault of theirs every time there is a heavy downpour. “Mission Flood Free Guwahati” was launched involving the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) and the Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA). Key strategies of this mission include (i) de-silting the city drains by extensive cleaning of primary and secondary drains to improve flow, (ii) installation of auto-priming pumps in low-lying areas like Rukminigaon and Lachit Nagar to draw out water, (iii) causing infrastructure improvements by construction of alternative storm-water drains and strengthening the Bahini river channel, and (iv) setting up and managing silt traps at the foothills of hills to prevent garbage and sludge from blocking drains. But what the people of Guwahati have experienced over the last week has appeared to simply reduce the ambitious “Mission Flood Free Guwahati” to a joke, if nothing else. A number of localities – including roads and residences – continue to remain submerged; drains continue to remain clogged with garbage of all kinds; mud and slush continue to flow down from the hills in and around the city, which has remained encroached by thousands of families; and citizens continue to throw rubbish into drains. Though the government had started an operation to desilt and dig the Silsako Beel to ease the flood situation in the greater Rukminigaon and Panjabari areas, the filling up of wetlands and low-lying areas elsewhere in the city has only reduced the natural space for the rainwater to flow out. Contractors engaged by the government to construct, repair and maintain drains and water channels have literally failed to deliver. In several localities like Juripar, the construction of major drains has not yet reached 20 per cent, and the rains have already begun. Lack of proper planning and anticipation as to where the water flowing down from the several flyovers will be drained out has caused both ends of almost every flyover to turn into lakes after every smart shower. Heavy rain, often resulting in severe artificial flooding and waterlogging in several localities, has become a persistent challenge requiring a combination of swift administrative action and vigilant community preparedness. Desilting of drains, penalising shops, establishments and citizens throwing garbage here and there, and frequent visits of senior officers to the affected localities must be made compulsory and mandatory.