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Dibrugarh Town Protection drain clogged

By Staff correspondent

DIBRUGARH, Feb 12 � Even as the recurring waterlogging-induced flood comes as a plague for the city dwellers here, primarily due to the alleged faulty linkages of sewerage system and clogged drains, no sincere mitigation effort is being made by the authorities.

Ironically, no clearance or improvement of any nature has been seen along the stretch of the Dibrugarh Town Protection (DTP) drain, which the E&D department has been claiming time and again that Rs 25 lakh was used for clearance of water hyacinth, reeds and sludges of the main drain recently. The drain at all points still remains filled up with garbage, water hyacinth and huge deposit of silt. The concerned department claimed that the cleaning work of the DTP drain was carried out manually for two months.

Besides, empty spaces on either side of the drain is to be maintained at all times but now all the empty spaces have been encroached and unauthorised buildings, shops and settlements have come up all along the drain. It may be pointed out that the government has taken a very uncompromising stand regarding the removal of encrachements in Guwahati. However, in Dibrugarh, the administration turns a blind eye

to the matter of encroachments which keeps compounding the problem of water logging.

Another example which proves that the local administration has little or no concern for the welfare of the people of Dibrugarh is the manner in which the Khonia gaon to DTP drain concrete drain project has been implemented. Begun in March 2009, this drain is yet to be completed. Interestingly, it has no outlet. As a result, the water flows backwards at points.

Proper cleaning of the Dibrugarh Town Protection drain has almost never been carried out since 1988. The local administration is well aware of the drain, constructed in order to drain out all acumulated water in the town, needs to be maintained properly so that its water discharging capacity remains at its optimum level. The district administration has failed to compel the concerned department and its officials to see that the DTP drain is effectively cleaned. Even during these long dry months of winter, the drain is half full with water and vegetative growth, thereby creating a very unhygienic environment.

A civil and human rights forum under the nomenclature Police Group for People�s Rights, has been regularly raising the issue by approching and acquinating the district administration, the additional chief engineers of PWD and Water Resources department. However, no corrective measures have been taken, Dr Aradhana Kataki, president, Police Group for People�s Rights told media persons during a press conference here on Thursday.

The residents here have been made to live under a waist deep level artificial flood every year during monssons in sub-human conditions. Hundreds of families here shift their homes for months during the monsoon. If no swift action is taken, the residents will suffer from even worse waterlogging, according to Dr Kataki.

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