Guwahati, Jan 3: The department of housing and urban affairs (DoHUA) on Tuesday announced that the geographical information system (GIS)-based master plans, being prepared for developing as many as 102 towns and cities of Assam, would be ready within the year 2023.
Speaking to media persons, Assam housing and urban affairs minister Ashok Singhal said that the GIS-based master plans would be ready within this year for which a massive drive has been undertaken, keeping in mind a long-term vision towards planned and scientific development of these towns and cities.”
“As part of this initiative, the advisory council has already approved the master plans of 29 municipal corporations of the state. These include Sivasagar, Tezpur, Barpeta, Nazira, Simaluguri, Dergaon, Naharkatia, Namrup, Rangia, Palashbari, Golaghat, Mangaldoi, Dhemaji, Dhubri, Gauripur, Goalpara, Biswanath Chariali, North Lakhimpur, Dibrugarh, Nagaon, Sonari, Kokrajhar, Karimganj, Nalbari, Silchar, Tinsukia, Jorhat, Diphu and Bongaigaon,” Singhal informed during a media interaction programme at the NEDFi Convention Centre here, where the achievements and plans of DoHUA and the irrigation department were also highlighted.
The minister also informed that in the last six months, the advisory council had approved master plans for another eight towns.
“Besides, draft master plans for 54 other towns have been made ready while draft master plans for another 10 towns are being prepared,” he said.
Singhal further said that services in the municipal corporations and boards are being digitised for the convenience of the people.
In regard to urban flooding in Guwahati, the minister said that unsystematic development and unplanned growth over the past five decades are key causes of the problem arising in the city.
“Waste disposal in the city has been unscientific in the past five decades, with people throwing garbage in the drains and rivers, thereby clogging the drains and reducing the carrying capacity of rivers. However, even if 60 percent of work that we have taken now to clean the rivers and drains, we believe that the problem of artificial floods would be tackled,” Singhal said.
“Artificial or flash floods are also caused by heavy rain which results in water overflowing to the roads from the drains, which are clogged with silt and garbage. Once such excess water makes its way to the rivers, the carrying capacity of rivers is reduced,” he said.