GUWAHATI, May 20: Incessant rainfall from late Monday night through Tuesday morning has once again laid bare chinks in Guwahati city’s drainage system, as residents, particularly school children and office-goers, bore the brunt of flash floods across several low-lying and waterlogging-prone areas.
Despite construction of deep drains in several areas of the city ahead of the monsoon season, low-lying stretches and interior roads in areas such as Anil Nagar, Nabin Nagar, Rukminigaon, Hatigaon, PIBCO point, Rukminigaon, Juripar, Silsako, Basisthapur-Survey, Beltola, Maligaon and Chandmari, were left inundated till late afternoon, hours after the rain had stopped by noon.
Several schools announced emergency closures on Tuesday morning, as campuses were waterlogged and buses could not operate.
“My daughter had prepared for her periodic assessment, but we were informed by the school authority about buses being unable to move out of the waterlogged campus. So, her exam that was scheduled today, had to be deferred, we were told,” said a parent.
As the day progressed, the situation turned from bad to worse with traffic snarls affecting commuters in several localities. Many vehicles were left stranded as the water level apparently remained stagnant for hours, disrupting busy schedules of commuters since morning. Some vehicles had to be towed from inundated mid sections of arterial roads to safer areas.
The precarious situation also prompted Assam housing and urban affairs minister Jayanta Malla Baruah to survey some of the affected areas on Tuesday morning.
“Owing to activities such as hill cutting and deforestation, the flow of rainwater from the adjoining hills in Meghalaya to the city has increased. We, therefore, need to put in place better storm water drainage systems and pumps to control such a voluminous flow of water from the hills,” the minister told mediapersons later.
The minister further said work was underway to divert flood water from vulnerable areas such as PIBCO point and Hatigaon, even as he admitted that there were some technical issues and the efforts were not delivering the desired results.
Malla Baruah had earlier warned concerned contractors and officials of strict action under provisions of the Disaster Management Act if the pending desiltation work across the city was not completed by May 18.
“The first round of desiltation work is over and we have intensified monitoring to ensure that the activities are fast tracked,” he said.
Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted inclement weather over Assam for the next two to three days, with heavy to very heavy rainfall expected across various parts of the state.
According to rainfall data recorded on Tuesday, several locations in and around Guwahati have already received substantial precipitation — including 112.5 mm at the Guwahati AWS station, 115 mm at AAU-HRS, 110 mm at Mirza circle office, and 100 mm at IASST-Kamrup. These figures indicate widespread and intense rainfall activity that is likely to persist.
The weather pattern suggests that both western and southern parts of Assam are likely to witness more intense rainfall episodes over the coming days, potentially reaching up to 200 mm in isolated locations.
In Guwahati city, continued downpours could aggravate waterlogging, slow vehicular movement, and increase the risk of tree falls and localised landslides in vulnerable pockets. City authorities are closely monitoring the situation and emergency response systems are being kept on alert.
“People are advised to take all necessary precautions and remain vigilant. Daily commuters and long-distance travelers are requested to plan their routines accordingly, avoiding unnecessary movement during periods of intense rainfall,” the IMD report said.
“Residents in low-lying and hillside areas should stay alert for any signs of flooding or soil erosion. People are also urged to stay tuned to official weather updates and follow advisories issued by local authorities to ensure safety during this prolonged spell of rain,” it said.