GUWAHATI, Aug 18 � In a bid to save Guwahati from flash flood, the Bharalu needs to be guided to the Brahmaputra via Deepor Beel, through its Mora Bharalu course, and its outfall should be located near Chaygaon, downstream of Simna-Phuturi in Kamrup district.
This was the observation made by former Additional Chief Engineer of the Flood Control (now Water Resources) Department Dhani Ram Talukdar. He also called for steps to renovate the Bonda Sluice Gate and divert the Bahini River along the southern side of NH 37, to the Deepor Beel.
Talking to The Assam Tribune, Talukdar said that these proposals were thoroughly discussed in the meetings of the Board of Consultants of the Flood Control Department in the early 1990s.
The Flood Control Department had laid a big channel from Hudumpur to guide the Bharalu to the Brahmaputra near Chaygaon. The diversion of the Bharalu to the Brahmaputra through the Mora Bharalu and the Hudumpur channel will provide the former with a level difference of four metres from Guwahati and will thus facilitate easy drainage of its water, Talukdar said.
The Bharalu, because of its level being lower than the normal flood level of the Brahmaputra, cannot release any water at Bharalumukh whenever the Brahmaputra is in spate.
The pumps installed at the Shantipur Sluice Gate are not sufficient to pump out the huge quantity of water accumulated in the Bharalu channel on the events of heavy shower. This creates a peculiar situation for a city which is bowl shaped because of its geography.
To match this physical feature of the city, earlier it had enough low-lying areas and these could save it from flash flood, besides its natural channels and storm water drains were also wider till the early 1970s.
The flash flood in Pub Sarania, Lachit Nagar, Nabin Nagar, Anil Nagar, Tarun Nagar etc areas is the result of filling up of the low-lying areas and blocking the natural channels.
Moreover, it is a basic thing that no floodwall should be built along the banks of the drainage channels. Because such walls prevent drainage of the storm water from the catchment areas, he said.
