GUWAHATI, June 22 - Altogether seven families at Janapath and Santipath in Dhirenpara area are reeling under artificial flood since April, forcing some of the families to shift to rented houses.
Saira Begum, a victim living near the Shiva Mandir on Itabhata Road of the area said this is for the first time that the rainwater is taking so long to recede.
�Every year during the rainy season, we witness waterlogging in our locality, but the water recedes in two to three days. But this time it is an exception; there is still knee-deep water inside my house. It is challenging for us to stay in rented houses during this pandemic as we are daily wage earners. So I have sent only my son and his wife to a rented house,� Begum said, adding that she still stays in her waterlogged house.
The main reason for the artificial flood in the area is lack of drains. �We have the Mora Bharalu near us, but there are no side drains to connect the roadside drains to it,� she added.
The residents of the area have informed the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) about their plight, but have not yet received any response from the authority. The area is under Division Four of GMC.
�We have been paying all taxes over the years, but no facilities have been provided to us. There is no piped water connection. The bylanes are in a dilapidated condition. Several residents have to enter their residential premises by climbing over the boundary walls as the entrances remain under water,� Mintu Ali, another resident, said.
�To stay indoors is mandatory at the time of the COVID-19-induced lockdown, but we are busy shifting our belongings to safer places,� another resident Jonab Ali said.
Meanwhile, a source in the health department said Dhirenpara area of the city is also prone to mosquito-borne diseases. �The drains in several areas of the city are overflowing. Some of those drains are not covered, which results in foul smell emanating from them. The uncovered drains are posing a threat to the residents and passersby,� the source added.
GMC Commissioner Devajyoti Hazarika said the Corporation has not been informed about it yet. �If there is any such situation we will act on it immediately,� Hazarika said.
