GUWAHATI: The Gauhati High Court has issued a stern directive to the Assam government to address the persistent waterlogging problem in Guwahati city.
The court has instructed the state to submit a detailed report within 10 days outlining the measures taken to tackle the issue.
The division bench, comprising Chief Justice Vijay Bishnoi and Justice Suman Shyam, expressed their concerns while hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL 14/2024) filed by the North East Eco Development Society.
The PIL highlighted the chronic waterlogging that plagues Guwahati during the monsoon season.
“It is noticed that the problem of waterlogging in the monsoon season in Guwahati city has not been addressed by the authorities concerned properly for a long time,” the bench observed.
Highlighting the broader impact, the court noted that since the issue is directly related to the public at large, the respondents should file their response within the stipulated time.
“The report must detail what steps have been taken by them to deal with the problem of waterlogging in Guwahati city,” the court said.
The government was represented by the additional chief secretary of the Forest and Environment Department, the Principal Secretary of the Revenue and Disaster Management Department, the Chief Executive Officer of the Assam Disaster Management Authority, and the Divisional Forest Officer of the East Kamrup division.
The court observed that no response had been filed by the state government to date and granted a 10-day extension for a detailed counter to the writ petition.
Earlier on Thursday, Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) Mayor Mrigen Sarania acknowledged that there is no permanent solution to the city’s perennial waterlogging issue.
He attributed this to the city’s geographical positioning, explaining that heavy rainfall inevitably leads to clogged low-lying areas.
However, Mayor Sarania noted that the situation has improved this year compared to previous years, thanks to the proactive measures taken by the corporation before the monsoon season.
This year, he claimed, approximately 291 drains and five major river channels in Guwahati—Bharalu, Mora Bharalu, Basistha, Bahini, and Lakhimijan—have undergone desiltation at a cost of around Rs 29 crores.
He reported that about 60-65% of this work has already been completed.
