Mission Flood-free Guwahati is ongoing since last three years but the authorities are still trying to figure out how to combat urban floods.
GUWAHATI: Mission flood-free Guwahati is a task undertaken by the authorities every year and accordingly, various activities take place across the city to put an end to the watery mess, but every year during monsoon, waterlogging returns submerging the dream.
The city of Guwahati is witnessing large-scale infrastructural development in all spectrums - from road infrastructure to flyovers, drainage system, drinking water project, laying of gas pipeline and many more, but there doesn’t appear to be any concrete solution to urban floods. Construction of new drains across the city is ongoing since a long time; footpaths are built or renovated, but waterlogging issue has not been completely resolved.
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In fact, those at the helm have virtually given up on a Guwahati without waterlogging.
Guwahati Municipal Corporation Deputy Mayor Smita Roy said as much while talking to GPlus. “This is not possible,” she said in abject surrender adding, “The best we can do is to make sure the water recedes as quickly as possible.”
Roy also felt citizens could contribute more towards keeping the drains clean for the water to move out. For instance, she said, cleaners have even found blankets and pillows dumped in drains. “How will the water pass then,” she asked in exasperation.
Initially, mission flood free (MFF) committees were constituted under the chairmanship of District Commissioner, Kamrup (M) for mitigating flooding issues of Guwahati city.
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From 2022, major stakeholders of this committee were department of housing and urban affairs (DoHUA), GMC, GMDA, PWD, NHAI, OIL, NF Railway, APDCL, and any other agency as and when required from time to time.
In 2024, as per the direction of the chief minister, two committees were constituted -- an apex committee under the chairmanship of Commissioner & Secretary, DoHUA for overall monitoring and decision-making on various MFF issues, and another under chairmanship of District Commissioner, Kamrup (Metro) for overall monitoring and coordination with all departments and officials.
It needs to be mentioned that the MFF 2024 work is ongoing from January, but ironically till now waterlogging issues persist in many areas of Guwahati. The maximum work assigned to all the departments has been in 2024 but still there is no solution to waterlogging.
“The assigned work for all the departments is complete and in a few cases it is on the verge of completion,” said a senior official associated with MFF Guwahati on condition of anonymity.
The official said that the major flood affected areas in Guwahati are Anil Nagar/Nabin Nagar, Pub Sarania, Rukminigaon, Dwarka Nagar, Sarumataria, Hatigaon, Wireless, Chandmari, B Barooah Road, Boragaon and Jorabat. He claimed that accordingly many projects were undertaken by various departments.
For Anil Nagar and Nabin Nagar, the desiltation of Anil Nagar main drain is going on, dewatering pumps at Bharalu in Anil Nagar are functional and in place, the guard wall of Bharalu from Jonali point to Anil Nagar is repaired, the reconstruction of guard wall of Bharalu from Anil Nagar to Lachit Nagar is going on, informed the official. Similarly, the official claimed that for Pub Sarania, the cross culvert of Rajgarh Bye lane No. 6 has been cleared and desilted, the main drain along Pub Sarania is desilted and reconstructed and PWD is exploring feasibility of construction of a drain along Rajgarh Road to Bharalu, and a gradient survey of Pub Sarania drains is being conducted.
For Rukminigaon, Downtown and Dwarka Nagar areas, reconstruction of drain in Rukminigaon area is completed, the pump at G.S Road near Rukminigaon Bridge is completed and ready for installation; temporary pump has been installed till the installation of the permanent pump; construction of pump house at Silsako Beel and enhancing drainage capacity of Bahini diversion from PIBCO to Silsako by GMDA is ongoing, construction of drain from Basistha Chariali to Basistha river for diversion of storm water coming from Meghalaya is also completed.
Similarly, MFF has worked for Sarumataria, Hatigaon, Wireles and Chandmari too.
The senior official of MFF said, “Since MFF started, the maximum work happened in 2024 since January, but when it floods after rain in some places it seems like the entire exercise was a failure.” He said that in 2024 everything was done and waterlogging should not have happened, so it is a new learning and a new strategy is being chalked out.
The source in the MFF committee said that no stone was left unturned to get rid of urban floods in Guwahati, but the drainage system has to be checked.
It needs to be mentioned that there is no proper drainage system in the city and whatever construction of footpaths and drains are happening is mostly unplanned.
Underground drainage system and underground sewerage system has to happen in the middle of the road but after the construction of flyovers, it is difficult.
A source in GMDA said that a master drainage plan is being drawn up after which a new drainage system will be constructed in Guwahati. But, for the time being MFF looks like it is impossible.
A city-based social activist, Padmashree awardee and former legislator from Guwahati, Ajoy Kumar Dutta talking to G Plus said that crores of rupees have been spent in the name of smart city in Guwahati. Without underground drainage system and underground sewerage system, Guwahati cannot ever become a smart city, stressed Dutta.
“I can dare any chief engineer if they can confidently say where the water is flowing out from the drains,” said Dutta adding that no one has done any contour survey for the drainage system in Guwahati. Dutta said, “Every year the mission flood-free Guwahati starts and drains, rivers are desilted, but the mission is impossible if the culverts across Guwahati are not cleaned, “ adding that he can challenge any authority if the culverts across Guwahati are cleared. He said none of the culverts across Guwahati have been cleaned in the last 10 years, and that is the major reason for urban floods. Dutta said that there are so many flyovers in the city but none of the flyovers have any drainage plan as water flowing down from flyovers is entering people’s houses.
It needs to be mentioned that MFF is ongoing since 2022 and various departments are assigned with different tasks every year. Under the mission in 2022, GMC was entrusted the task of desilting five rivers namely, Bharalu, Bahini, Basistha, Mora Bharalu and Lakhimijan, besides primary and secondary drains through contractors and departmental laborers. GMDA was assigned desiltation of major water bodies like Silsako, Sarusala, Borsola, and NBCC drain Noonmati. In the same year, under the same mission, Water Resource Department (WRD) was tasked with desilting Bondajan, near airport and Rani BSF Camp; installing and maintaining dewatering pumps at Bharalu, Mora Bharalu and Bondajan. Similarly, in 2022, National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) was to desilt cross culverts and the drains along NH from Khanapara to Jorabat; desiltation of the culvert under Jorabat flyover. In 2022, PWD was not assigned any work.
In 2023, along with other departments PWD was assigned cleaning and desiltation of 143 major drains of the city. Reconstruction of road-cum-drain from G.S. Road Point via Rangamancha to Bhabendra Nath Saika Road (Beltola Basistha Road), construction of outlet load bearing drain with road at Milijuli Path in front of Excel Care Hospital, construction of drain at B. Borooah Road, construction of drain in Hatigaon-Bhetapara Road, construction of drain at Wireless point at Beltola Basistha Road.
For 2024, GMC was again assigned desiltation of the five rivers, desiltation of 251 drains, construction of silt chambers in Noonmati area, Mother Teresa Road and other identified areas, desiltation of 10 major drains by super sucker, construction 100-meter-long drain from Raju Reyaz saloon towards Solapara, and desiltation of drains along railway track from Chandmari to Paltanbazar.
GMDA was again assigned desiltation of the major water bodies like, Silsako, Sarusala, Borsola, and NBCC Drain Noonmati, besides diverting Bahini river from Basistha Chariali towards Basistha, diverting Bahini river from Pibco point to Silsako and installation of pump house in the outlet of the drain, construction of pump and a pumping station at Last Gate point to ease the waterlogging problem in the Wireless area.
WRD was assigned desiltation of Bondajan, Airport, Rani BSF Camp, installation and maintenance of dewatering pumps at Bharalu, Mora Bharalu and Bondajan, construction of sluice gate and installation of dewatering pump at the G.S. Road point near Bridge over Bahini river at Rukminigaon, construction of Borsala sluice gate, procurement of dewatering pump at G.S. Road near bridge over Rukminigaon.
Similarly, PWD was assigned cleaning and desiltation of 143 major drains of the city, construction of 10 drains under Mission Flood Free, construction of the drain from Raju Reyaz saloon through Manipuri Basti to Ulubari before the rainy season, cross culvert at B. Borooah Road, reconstruction of drains on both sides for 450 metres from Zakir Hussain Road Byelane No. 9 Sarumataria to Hem Baruah Path and then onward to Silsako Beel. NHAI was also assigned desiltation of drains along NH near Boragaon, desiltation of five cross culverts across NH in Boragaon area. OIL was assigned desiltation of OIL pipeline.
NFR was assigned to clear and desilt all the cross culverts across the railway track from Chandmari to Bharalumukh under railway jurisdiction. It needs to be mentioned that MFF committee in last three years involved NFR and OIL to combat floods. Ironically, despite a huge task undertaken in 2024, water logging still remains an issue.
A resident of Rukminigaon said, “Before Supermarket flyover, Rukminigaon did not witness waterlogging, but after the flyover was constructed waterlogging is a serious issue in Rukminigaon and nearby areas,” adding that this year Rukmanigaon witnessed waterlogging more than last year.
MFF is ongoing and will continue but flood-free Guwahati requires a different strategy for the mission to be possible.
So, the fish that residents of Rukminigaon found swimming in a large puddle left behind by last week’s rain, can come again, maybe in company of many more.
