GUWAHATI, Aug 4 � The thundershower that lashed the city caused immeasurable hardship to the residents of many city localities. In some parts stormwater not only inundated the roads and campuses but also the living rooms of the people. To add to the misery of the people there was the disruption of power supply for almost the entire night.
People who were outdoors between Ambari and Chandmari area were stranded for hours. There was a heavy traffic jam with the stormwater making movement of traffic, particularly those of the small vehicles, almost impossible. Some occupants had to abandon their vehicles on the GNB Road. A similar situation was also witnessed on the GS Road between Christian Basti and Ulubari area. The Rajgarh road was also submerged by the stormwater between Lachitnagar point and Bharalu bridge point at Bhangagarh.
Several other major roads of the city � RG Baruah Road, AT Road, Hengrabari Road, Japorigog-Nayanpur Road, FC Road, Hemchandra Road, MC Road, Lamb Road, Hem Baruah Road, ML Nehru Road, parts of Sir Sadulla Road between Industrial Cooperative Bank and Lakhtokia Bara Masjid, part of Panjabari road, were also under water for a couple of hours.
Areas like Mathuranagar, Uzanbazar, Nabinnagar, Japorigog, Pub Sarania, Greater Hengrabari area, Sasal and many other areas of the city were inundated by the storm water. Interestingly, some areas faced such problem for the first time.
In Gandhibasti area, waist-deep water inundated the roads and in some cases, living rooms were also flooded. In Pub Sarania area, many houses were inundated and the main road was under more than knee-deep water. In greater Hengrabari area, the roads were under water and houses of about 800 families were inundated.
Save Guwahati Build Guwahati president Dhiren Baruah blamed the Guwahati Municipal Corporation for the flash flood that made the Guwahatians face a harrowing time. He also blamed the engineers engaged in the installation of the TC School point rotary saying that these people lack the vision of maintaining a balance between the developmental activities and drainage network. Though the Ambari wetland has been filled up to develop the rotary, these engineers failed to honour the public cry for a good drainage network to replace the wetland, which served as a stormwater reservoir.
He also blamed the authorities for their not having a disaster management mechanism to save the Guwahatians from such situations. The Railways are also blamed by the SGBG president for their lackadaisical attitude towards the public demand for providing a wider culvert in the Ambari area.
Pub Sarania Unnayan Samiti adviser Benudhar Baruah alleged that the Pub Sarania underground drain built by the Town and Country Planning directorate in the early 1970s has not been cleaned since 2002. The mouth of this drain, which is linked to the Chandmari-Bharalu drain is also blocked.
The bed of the Chandmari-Bharalu drain has also been raised due to siltation and thus the Pub Sarania drain has become redundant. The drain carries water from the entire Pub Sarania area and parts of Dakhin Sarania.
The Pub Sarania Unnayan Samiti has been repeatedly requesting the GMDA, GMC to clean the underground drain and moved the PWD to clear the Pub Sarania drain mouth. The Samiti also moved the High Court for judicial intervention in this matter, said the Samiti adviser.
Col P Choudhury, president of the Brihattar Guwahati Naharik Samanayrakhi Samiti, said that the construction of the walls along the banks of the Bharalu between RG Baruah road and Bhangagarh GS road point worsened the flash flood situation in Nabinnagar and Anilnagar areas. Two low-capacity pumps have been provided to pump out stormwater from these areas at Anilnagar point. But this has not improved the situation.
Stormwater left a trail of mud, slush and garbage on the city roads and today dust made life miserable for the road users.
Though the rain lashed the city last evening for about two hours, associated with thunderstorm, it was moderate in nature, if the measurements available with Borjhar Airport IMD Rainfall station and Khanapara State rainfall station are to be believed.
But, it is believed that a sort of cloudburst with its focal point located over Bharalumukh and Chandmari areas might have occurred, as the sounds of repeated thunders were heard in this area, said H Pathak, Deputy Director General of Meteorology (DDGM) of the Regional Meteorology Centre (RMC) here.
In general there was a favourable condition created by the presence of the monsoon trough over the NE region for such activities, said Pathak.
