Digboi waterlogging turns highway into canal, exposes drainage failure

OUR CORRESPONDENT

DIGBOI: What was projected as a symbol of development has now turned into a glaring public disaster in Digboi, where relentless rainfall since Wednesday night has exposed deep-rooted failures in planning, execution, and governance. The unfolding flood-like situation is no longer being seen as a natural occurrence but as a man-made crisis driven by negligence and administrative apathy.

At the centre of the crisis lies the National Highway stretch at No. 1 Golai-now resembling a stagnant waterbody rather than a vital roadway. Incomplete widening work, coupled with a fundamentally flawed drainage system, has rendered the route nearly unusable. Drains constructed along both sides stand ineffective, as the absence of outlet channels has turned them into mere structures with no functional purpose. Vehicular movement has collapsed under the pressure of waterlogging, leaving commuters stranded and daily life severely disrupted. For residents, the situation has gone beyond inconvenience-it has become a symbol of failed governance.

The consequences of this systemic failure are now cascading into critical sectors. In a major disruption, several oil tankers have been stranded at the Golai terminal after nearly two metres of water submerged the entry and exit points of the AOD terminal.

Fuel supply has also been hit. The Saligram Bridhichand oil depot in the Digboi Station area reportedly failed to serve customers at the time of filing this report, amplifying public distress and highlighting the wider economic fallout of the crisis.

In what many are calling an astonishing admission of failure, a PWD engineer acknowledged that no outlets were incorporated during construction and suggested that provisions could be made after completion. The statement has drawn sharp criticism, with experts and residents alike questioning its technical viability and terming it a blatant violation of engineering fundamentals.

Notably, the township drainage project from Charali to Ramnagar via Borbil, covering a stretch of nearly 3.5 km, is being executed with an estimated outlay of around Rs 8 crore under the Chief Minister's Corpus. The project has now come under intense scrutiny amid allegations of faulty design and substandard execution.

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