Guwahati, Sept 26: The Assam government has informed the Gauhati High Court regarding the engagement of an external consultancy firm to prepare the GIS-based “Comprehensive Drainage Master Plan and Detailed Project Report for Guwahati City” for tackling the decades-old problem of water-logging in the city.
A division bench of Gauhati High Court, comprising Chief Justice Vijay Bishnoi and Justice N. Unni Krishnan Nair, was further informed that the work order has been issued to the firm, Haskoning DHV Consulting Pvt. Ltd, by the Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) on August 21, 2024.
The agency has already submitted an inspection report for the Guwahati Drainage Master Plan, containing aspects such as the project background, objectives and scope of work; approach and methodology; scope of topographical survey and ground investigations, including preliminary assessment outcomes; quality assurance plan; project schedule, milestones/deliverables and work plan.
The Advocate General, Assam apprised the Court that the consultancy agency would prepare the comprehensive drainage master plan for Guwahati within nine months from the date of issuance of the work order.
Notably, a retired IFS officer, Akash Deep Baruah had made a power-point presentation highlighting the reasons for flooding in Guwahati and also proposed solutions to be taken into consideration for tackling the problem of flooding in the city.
The Court appreciated the efforts of Baruah, who has also submitted a comprehensive report in this regard.
The Advocate General submitted that the state was ready to take the services of Baruah for tackling the problem of flooding in the city and assured the Court that his suggestions would be taken into consideration at the appropriate level.
“…We are of the view that the state government is serious in tackling the problem of water-logging and flooding in Guwahati city and hope that effective measures shall be taken at the earliest to tackle the problem,” the Court said.