Guwahati: With the eviction drive to clear water ways and wetlands in the state capital continuing for the sixth day, the administration on Saturday demolished 74 houses.
The demolition exercise was today carried out in the Silsako lake and on the banks of Bharalu and Basistha rivers, flowing through the city, according to an official release. Out of the 74 houses cleared during the day, 34 were in Silsako, 26 on the banks of Bharalu and the rest were on the Basistha banks.
The eviction drive to clear the water ways and wetlands was launched after the state capital faced the worst-ever flood last week. The Kamrup Metro district administration has so far demolished 570 houses at different paces and cleared over 137 bighas of government land.
Regarding the displaced people during the eviction drive, the authority has already ruled out giving any relief or temporary accommodation to them saying that it would not be done as they were encroachers on government land.
Many of the residents, whose houses have been brought down, alleged that the administration is carrying out the eviction drive in an partisan manner as “it is not touching the establishments of the rich people”.
Kamrup Metro district administration is leading the eviction drive in association with Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority and Guwahati Municipal Corporation.
A large number of police personnel are also present in all the places to avoid any resistance and untoward incidents.
The authority has also identified 366 places on 19 hillocks surrounding the city as landslide-prone and has asked the people living there to shift to safer locations till the monsoon season gets over.
During the flood and landslide last week in Guwahati, 11 persons died. Heavy rains affected many areas, including Anil Nagar, Tarun Nagar, Dispur, Rajgarh, Zoo Road, G S Road, GNB Road and Bhagagarh. (PTI)
