GUWAHATI: Guwahati woke up on Tuesday, April 22, to a sight its citizens have become used to: roads waterlogged after a bout of heavy rainfall. Office-goers and school-children bore the brunt as they warily navigated through roads and lanes underwater, praying they do not trip on the now-invisible potholes or any other such obstacle. The waterlogging led to traffic snarls on key roads compounding the woes of the commuters.
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Stretches of Zoo Road and GS Road, Nabin Nagar, Anil Nagar, Chandmari – where at least one school had to declare a holiday -- Guwahati Club, Lachit Nagar, Jorabat, Tarun Nagar were among others that had to live through the annual nightmare that refuses to go away. “You know, I have become immune to this, I don’t feel anything nowadays as it has become a part of life for Guwahatians,” said a middle-aged woman at Nabin Nagar, her countenance calm even as an argument broke out between a rickshawalla and a prospective passenger over the rate; another usual scene on rainy days when rickshaws are in high demand as a mode of transport in waterlogged roads.
Last year, the Gauhati High Court criticised the Assam government for its perceived lack of seriousness in addressing the persistent waterlogging issue in the state capital, but little appears to have changed. The much-touted ‘mission flood-free Guwahati’ has virtually remained on paper with all initiatives so far going down the drain.
“Today’s was just the trailer of things to come when the monsoon strike,” said Amartya, who was waiting for some transport which could help him cross over to the safer end of a waterlogged street at Anil Nagar.
Meanwhile, the IMD's Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) in Guwahati has predicted thunderstorms and lightning accompanied by gusty winds reaching up to 50-60 kmph at isolated places over Assam.
