‘Drainage system was not constructed scientifically in Dibrugarh,’ says Sonowal

Dibrugarh, July 4: As two embankments breached in Dibrugarh, Union Minister and Lok Sabha MP Sarbananda Sonowal said on Wednesday the drainage system in the city is not constructed scientifically.

Reaching his hometown after completing the 18th session of the Lok Sabha, Sonowal inspected the flood situation at Thana Chariali and told the media that in the days to come, the system of drains will have to be built scientifically fixed to provide relief to the residents of this city. The existing sewerage system has not been able to discharge the water accumulated in Dibrugarh in time into the Brahmaputra and Checha rivers.

The width and depth of the drain have been hampered at different times. In this way, Dibrugarh city cannot be saved from artificial floods. In the future, the entire landscape will have to be studied and the drainage system will have to be fixed scientifically in the future with advice from experts. Arrangements have to be made so that the city gets rid of artificial floods, Sonowal said.

The union minister said he had a telephone conversation with chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and chief secretary Ravi Kota over the last three days.

On the other hand, many people have been affected due to floods in the entire Lok Sabha constituency besides Dibrugarh city, Sonowal said, adding that the state government has taken measures to provide relief to the flood affected people. In the coming days, the central and state governments will have to work together to take steps to find a permanent solution to this problem. Sonowal advised the Dibrugarh Municipal Corporation to hold a civic body meeting to resolve the problem of artificial floods as soon as the water dries up in Dibrugarh city. He also urged senior citizens of all communities in Dibrugarh city to be invited to discuss the current situation.

He also directed the District Commissioner to review the problem of artificial floods and increase the number of water pumps to expedite drainage.

Meanwhile, Sonowal assured to resolve it technically and scientifically. Reacting to the embankment breach incident that took place on Tuesday in Tengakhat, Sonowal said more than 25 villages were damaged in the incident.