GUWAHATI, May 8 � A brief spell of downpour this morning inundated the entire city, washing away the tall claims of de-siltation and drain cleaning exercise taken up by the administration.
Though the rain stopped in the afternoon, people had a tough time due to water-logging and slush, that was left behind.
Drain cleaning work taken up in different areas of the city proved to be more disastrous for the citizens as the silt piled on the roadsides got scattered on the road due to rainfall and water-logging.
Silt and garbage in the entire length of the GNB Road and MRD Road exposed the ineffective civic administration and lack of supervision by the Guwahati Development Department (GDD).
The ongoing work of the ambitious water supply scheme further caused immense suffering to the people as the roads dug due to the pipeline laying work, became soggy after rainfall.
�It was difficult to drive or even walk on such slippery roads, even after the water receded from the roads. Instead of doing any good to the people, such government schemes are causing more trouble.
Only two days of rainfall have proved the worthlessness of the civic bodies here,� said Ranjit Saha, a resident of Bora Service area.
Rains and water-logging along with traffic jam gave a harrowing time to the school and office-goers. As always, the Chandmari area got flooded as soon as the rains started, bringing the traffic movement to a standstill.
Water-logging in Chandmari area affected the traffic movement on the MRD Road, GNB Road, RG Baruah Road and the GS Road at Ulubari. The RG Baruah Road also faced water-logging at several patches. The condition of lanes and bye-lanes of the city was even worse. The entire Rajgarh area got submerged, making it difficult for the people to walk or drive.
In several of the bye-lanes between Rajgarh and Pub Sarania, water-logging remains for more than 36 hours.
According to social activist Ajoy Dutta, the construction works taken up by the government agencies have aggravated the water-logging problem beyond control.
�The entire Panbazar area gets submerged even after a brief spell of rain. The GNB Road near the overbridge, Motilal Nehru Raod, CK Road, Sir Shadulla Road and Saraswati Road are worst affected due to water-logging. The GMC and PWD men, who clean drains, leave the garbage on roadsides, which again falls back to the drain due to rains. Crores of rupees are spent every year in carrying out such worthless exercises. The Government must be answerable to the taxpayers,� Dutta added.
�At many places on the GS Road the footpath is being constructed without cleaning the drain and constructing its base.
Such drains would not solve the water-logging problem of the city,� he added.
The residents of Lamb Road area also complained that the duration of water-logging was increasing in the area with every passing year.
Many citizens also complained that the drain cleaning work was being carried out by the authorities in a superficial manner. They demanded cleaning of the culverts and silt chambers of the city.
Residents of Ganeshguri also had a tough time fighting water-logging. Residents of Kharghuli, Ambari, Panjabari, Gandhibasti, Lakhara, Lalganesh, Lamb Road, Birubari, Anil Nagar, Tarun Nagar, Christianbasti, Nabin Nagar and Narengi also faced severe water-logging.
