Assam govt banks on Dutch report to resolve Guwahati’s recurring flood crisis

Guwahati, May 31: In a bid to offer a long-term solution to Guwahati’s persistent waterlogging crisis, Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Jayanta Mallabaruah, on Saturday, said that the construction of road-cum-drains and installation of silt traps are the “only permanent solution” to urban flooding in the city.

“There is no permanent solution to this apart from constructing road-cum-drains and installing silt traps. Let’s see how much progress we can make after this year’s monsoons,” the minister said, after inspecting flood-affected areas across the city.

The Minister also highlighted a “scientific approach” in the state’s battle against urban floods, pointing to learnings from other metros.

“We plan to adopt a scientific approach like the Mumbai Municipal Corporation. A firm from the Netherlands has also prepared a report on how best to address waterlogging in Guwahati—we are trying to follow that,” he added.

Mallabaruah noted that desiltation efforts by the Department of Housing and Urban Affairs (DoHUA) have already shown encouraging signs.

“Today, there is no waterlogging in Lamb Road, Silpukhuri, and behind the AGP Office. Even the water on Zoo Road is receding. This is the result of stringent desiltation work. But once the waters recede, we must clean the drains again—otherwise, these areas will flood once more. This is a continuous process,” he explained.

Focusing on low-lying, flood-prone localities, the minister announced specific infrastructure projects for Rukminigaon and Hatigaon.

“We are constructing two large drains to divert water away from Rukminigaon—one from Wireless to Lastgate on the left, and another from PIBCO point to Silsako on the right. Work on both drains has already started,” he said.

Meanwhile, Guwahati began limping back to normalcy on Saturday after heavy rains lashed the city on Friday, disrupting public life.

With no heavy downpour reported, public transport limped back to normalcy. However, several areas in the city remain inundated.