K Anurag in Guwahati
Flash floods triggered by heavy raifall have thrown life out of gear for thousands of families since the last two days in several parts of Guwahati city. K Anurag reports.
Areas such as Nabin Nagar, Tarun Nagar, parts of Pub-Sarania, Gandhibasti, Japorigog, Hangerabari, Sasal have remained under water for the third consecutive day on Friday, with people stranded in their flooded houses.
There is knee deep water inside some of households in Nabin Nagar and Tarun Nagar areas, the worst affected among all the city areas hit by the flash flood.
In Greater Hangerabari area, houses of over 800 families have been inundated by the flood.
IN PICS: Flash floods wreak havoc in Guwahati
Several offices and institutions located in affected areas in the city remained non-functional because of water logging. Though the city corporation has tried its best to remove the slush deposited on main roads by the flash flood, it has failed to remove water from the flooded areas.
Besides the parts of arterial Guwahati-Shillong Road and GNB Road, several other busy roads including R G Baruah Road, A T Road, Hangerabari Road, Japorigog-Nayanpur Road, F C Road, Hemchandra Road, M C Road, Lamb Road, Motilal Nehru Road, Punjabari Road, Sadulla Road in the city are still waterlogged.
Some people had to leave their vehicles unattended for the night.
IN PICS: Flash floods wreak havoc in Guwahati
Meanwhile, the Save Guwahati Build Guwahati, a Non-Governmental Organisation working for development of this old city has blamed the lack of preparedness and vision on part of the Guwahati Municipal Corporation for the flash floods that devastate city localities every monsoon.
IN PICS: Flash floods wreak havoc in Guwahati
Pub-Sarania Unnayan Samiti adviser Benudhar Baruah said that the Pub-Sarania underground drain, which was built in 1970s, had not been cleaned since 2002. Consequently, the mouth of the drain which is linked to Chandmari-Bharalu drain is also blocked.
As the siltation has raised the bed of Chandmari-Bharalu drain, it has rendered Pub-Sarania drain redundant causing serious problem for the greater Pub-Sarania locality every monsoon.
Construction of walls along the two banks of Bharalau River, the main storm water channel for the city heart, has compounded the problem of flash floods in certain parts of the city such as Tarun Nagar, Nabin Nagar areas.
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