Reclaiming Water Channels to mitigate Guwahati Floods

Gauhati: A continuous and extensive eviction drive since July 1, launched by Kamrup (Metropolitan) district administration aiming at clearing all kinds of encroachments on various wetlands, water-bodies, and rivulets that have flown through Gauhati, hit the headlines of dailies and kept the residents of this Gateway of northeast glued to their televisions sets to remain updated on the daily progress of eviction drive. The eviction drive triggered hopes, particularly among the residents of the city’s low lying areas, which reel under waist-deep water due to catastrophic flash-flood that has become regular phenomenon during every monsoon. With rampant cutting up of hills for human settlement on the hills surrounding the city aggravating the problem, some expressed skepticism if the drive would solve the problem of water-logging and flash flood in the city.

Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi directed the administration to undertake the eviction drive immediately after heavy downpour in Assam and its hilly neighbour Meghalaya played havoc in the city claiming lives of nine residents in landslip on the hills and electrocution and drowning in flooded areas on June 26-27. The city experiences such unfortunate incidents as a regular phenomenon during monsoon every year. Residential areas of Nabin Nagar, Anil Nagar, Tarun Nagar, Pub-Sarania, Zoo-Road were the worst hit as knee-deep to waist-deep water kept the residents stranded at home for several days. The agony and grievance of citizens, who have to face loss of lives and properties every time, whenever there is downpour, prompted the administration to take stringent measures to clear water-bodies, which have been encroached over the years obstructing free-flow of rain-water.

The ongoing extensive eviction drive is only a part of the entire approach of providing relief to the citizens from rain-water havoc during monsoon.

Carrying out eviction drive on different occasions in not an unseen phenomenon for people of Gauhati, but this time the Kamrup (Metropolitan) district administration, fully equipped with state-of the art machineries including water master and excavator, huge demolition squads and security forces carried out the eviction drive simultaneously at various points of Silsako Beel, Bharalu, Mora Bharalu, Basistha and Bahini rivers; and also dredged the water channels to check further encroachment. The district administration has already drawn up short-term, mid-term and long-term plans to protect these reclaimed areas.

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