GUWAHATI, June 15 - A downpour lasting less than an hour brought many areas of the city to a standstill today with many of the major roads witnessing massive water-logging and residential and commercial localities also facing the brunt.
The shower, which started around 11 am, led to inundation of the GS Road, RG Baruah Road, MRD Road, VIP Road and other major roads and arteries. Even the area under Ganeshguri Chariali flyover was under a few inches of water for some time. There was water on the MLA Hostel premises as well.
Similar was the scene in localities like Anil Nagar, Nabin Nagar, Tarun Nagar, Jatia and Sarumataria.
At many places, four-wheelers got stuck after the rising water made the car engines shut down.
Rickshaw-pullers at various places were seen charging amounts much more than the usual rates to ferry commuters through inundated roads.
Officials of the Kamrup Metro district administration said that many areas in the city were affected due to the heavy shower. �However, the water receded from most of the streets within one or two hours, but in some residential localities floodwater is still present,� said an official.
He added that the administration is using pumps to flush out the rainwater from residential localities.
�There was massive water-logging at many places along the Kahilipara road. It took me more than one hour to get my daughter from school and I had to use many detours as it was dangerous to drive through the main road. This problem of flash flood has of late started affecting the Jatia-Kahilipara area. We hope the new government takes prompt action to mitigate the problem,� said Dhrubajyoti Sarma of Jatia.
Parag Dutta of Nabin Nagar said rainwater was still present at many bylanes and residential colonies of the area till late this afternoon. �The problem of artificial flooding has become perennial in many localities of the city. The government should look at finding some long-term solution to it,� he said.
