GUWAHATI, May 26 � The bed of the Bharalu river is up by around 10 to 12 feet between its Jonali Bridge Zero Point on the RG Baruah Road and the Bhangagarh Guwahati-Shillong Road Point, compared to the bed of the river in this reach in the 1980s. This has made the RG Baruah Road localities subject to repeated deluges, which are too awful for words, when there are incidents of heavy downpour.
The above was the observation made by Dwijen Bhattacharyya, president of the Zoo-Narengi Anchalik Unnayan Samiti.
Echoing the sentiments of the people of the RG Baruah Road localities, Bhattacharyya said unless the Bharalu is re-sectioned and its original bed level restored, the RG Baruah Road localities will continue to suffer from flash floods in the rainy days.
For the past about 12 to 15 years, the sediments deposited on the Bharalu bed have not been removed, he said.
Former Minister Biraj Kumar Sarma supported the assertion of Bhattacharyya. Sarma said that the last attempt to restore the Bharalu�s original bed level was made between 1998 and 2000. Sarma was the vice-chairman of the Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) then.
Sarma said the sediments deposited on the Bharalu were removed from its bed during that time and walls were erected in the reach between Jonali Bridge Point and Bhangagarh to protect both its banks from further encroachment.
But as the term of the then State Government elapsed in 2001, the plan to protect the river course from encroachment with walls on both its banks up to Pragjyotish College, beyond Bhangagarh, could not be materialised, he said.
Bhattacharyya also mentioned the failure of the authorities concerned to clean up the drain carrying the Guwahati Refinery effluent for the past about ten years in an effective manner.
Besides, the drain coming from the Guwahati Commerce College side has not been cleaned effectively since 1985. This drain meets the Refinery drain at the Zoo Tiniali Police Point.
The filling up and total elimination of the Kamala Kunwari Beel by the Gauhati Commerce College authorities, has also added to the misery of the RG Baruah Road localities. Some of the drains of the RG Baruah Road localities and the Zoo Tiniali areas are also under encroachment. The Apurba Sinha Path drain connected with the Rajgarh Road covered drain also needs to be re-sectioned properly and the practice of using it as a dustbin by the people should be done away with, Bhattacharyya said.
