One dead, hundreds stranded as artificial flood wreaks havoc in Jorabat, Guwahati

Jorabat, Aug 28: Heavy overnight rains on Wednesday wreaked havoc in Jorabat, triggering an artificial flood that transformed vital stretches of National Highways 27 and 6 into gushing streams of mud and water. The deluge left one person dead, hundreds of vehicles stranded, and businesses counting heavy losses, once again exposing the fragile infrastructure and poor flood management in the area.

The downpour, accompanied by a sudden rush of red soil from the Meghalaya hills, resulted in severe waterlogging and mud accumulation, crippling upward traffic and leaving heavy vehicles stranded in the middle of the highway. At several stretches, cars and two-wheelers were seen floating, while rescue teams of the SDRF and NDRF worked through the night to pull out trapped commuters.

In 10th Mile, a man identified as Durga Sharma from Hatigarh reportedly lost his life after being swept away in the swirling waters. His body was later recovered and sent to Gauhati Medical College & Hospital (GMCH) for post-mortem.

A car submerged in floods in Jorabat (AT image)

The situation turned dire as hundreds of vehicles, including passenger buses, trucks, and ambulances, were stuck for hours in chest-deep floodwaters. Emergency services too were caught in the chaos, with ambulances carrying critical patients struggling to move through the gridlocked highway. "This is no highway anymore – it’s a river," exclaimed stranded commuter Chandan Sarma.

Commercial establishments in Jorabat and its adjoining belts — particularly the 8th, 9th, and 10th Mile areas — suffered major losses as floodwaters inundated shops, offices, and warehouses. Residents reported extensive property damage and a collapse of daily commerce in the locality.

Local outrage has mounted sharply in the wake of the disaster. Residents and daily commuters allege that faulty highway design, especially the dangerously low culvert along NH-27, creates a choke point during monsoon floods. Others point to rampant, unregulated hill-cutting in the Meghalaya hills, which they say accelerates runoff and funnels floodwaters into Assam’s low-lying stretches.

"This is not nature’s wrath alone. It is the outcome of man-made negligence. Jorabat has been drowning year after year, yet no corrective steps have been taken," said local resident Pranab Borah, standing in front of his waterlogged premises.

Several areas of Guwahati were also inundated in artificial floods after the heavy shower. The affected areas included Hatigaon, Beltola, Kahilipara, Panjabari, Noonmati, and Rukminigaon.

In the eastern part of the city, the water coming down from the Meghalaya side aggravated the situation as many localities came under water, throwing normal life out of gear. On the other hand, in other parts of the city, most drains overflowed after a few minutes of rainfall due to shoddy desiltation works of the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC).

Traffic congestion in Guwahati (AT Image)

The waterlogging caused huge traffic congestion in the affected areas, as many vehicles were stuck amid the artificial floods in both arterial roads and bye-lanes. Many pedestrians, mostly office-goers, were seen wading through the flood water to reach their homes.

The State government had earlier this year announced a number of measures to address the waterlogging problem in the city. Many local level committees have also been formed to look after the desiltation of drainage system. But in reality all such efforts went futile, as testified to by the havoc caused by the shower.