GUWAHATI, July 27 � A meeting of the flash flood-hit people of the city held at the Bhaskar Nagar Recreation Centre here today demanded restoration of the natural drainage system existing in Guwahati prior to the preparation of its 1971 Drainage Master Plan. It also called for urgent steps to prepare a new drainage master plan for the city by conducting a contour survey through the GIS system. The master plan should also include the provision of watershed management wherever required, it said.
The meeting presided over by Colonel PC Choudhury, further demanded urgent steps to divert the Bahini rivulet towards the Brahmaputra via the Silsako Beel with the provision also to make it a channel for carrying the stormwater of the East Guwahati and Hengerabari areas.
The stormwater of Bamunimaidam, Jyotinagar, Bamunimaidam B G Yard and Guwahati Refinery areas should be drained to the Brahmaputra either through the Sector-I area of the Guwahati Refinery or Bonda area, it said.
The above steps would free the Bharalu from the extra load of stormwater it is now subjected to bear, the meeting observed. It said these steps would free the Nabin Nagar, Anil Nagar, Tarun Nagar, Sri Nagar and Lachit Nagar areas from flash flood.
The storm run-off coming from the Meghalaya hills should be prevented from entering the city by laying a channel to the south of the National Highway-37 with its outfall at the Brahmaputra, downstream of Palasbari. This will save the South Guwahati area, particularly Bhetapara, Hatigaon, Saokuchi, Odalbakra etc., from flash flood, it said.
Besides, the incomplete Hatigaon Channel should be completed to save Dispur, Hatigaon and Kahilipara areas from flash flood, it further said.
It demanded steps to widen the Mora Bharalu in and around the NH-37 and removal of the concrete slab on its course under the NH-37, which is obstructing its flow.
The meeting extended its full support to the eviction drives launched to remove encroachment on the water bodies of the city and its adjacent areas. It demanded cancellation of all the allotments and pattas on the land of these water bodies and removal of all the houses etc., built on those plots of land with the help of such allotment orders and pattas. Those officials who issued all such allotment orders and pattas should also be punished in an exemplary manner, it said.
It demanded urgent steps to make the city hills free from encroachment and to make hill earth cutting a punishable offence. Moreover, it said the people encroaching upon hill and water bodies� land should be treated as the people without voting powers going by the observations of the court and the Election Commission. The names of all such people should be deleted from the electoral rolls, it demanded.
The meeting also demanded steps to ban all plastic products in the city, banning all construction activities within the 15-metre area of the water bodies; deepening the Brahmaputra at the Bharalu outflow point and restoration of the original condition of the Oil India Ltd pipeline area in the city.
