GUWAHATI, June 8 - A torrential downpour last night caused massive flooding in various localities of the city.
While the floodwater subsided on major roads and arteries early this morning, some areas of the city, however, remained submerged till as late as afternoon.
The heavy downpour, which continued for almost two hours, inundated localities like Anil Nagar, Nabin Nagar, Bhagadattapur, Jatia, Sarumataria, Chandmari, and also parts of VIP Road, GS Road and RG Baruah Road among other places.
�The downpour was intense and this caused waterlogging at places. Civic officials immediately swung into action and pumps were pressed into service to flush out the water. However, many localities continued to be under water till late this morning,� said an official of the Kamrup Metro district administration.
He added, �The rainfall was during night time and so there was not much effect on normal life. There were some reports about cars parked outside on the streets getting stuck because of the rising water levels. However, there have been no reports of any injuries to anybody.�
GMDA pumps were being used till as late as the afternoon to pump out water from localities like Pub-Sarumataria.
Even as the floodwater receded, commuters faced problems due to the mud and slush on many roads, which had got accumulated.
�Even though the main shower stopped around 12.30 am, there was water in our locality till the afternoon. This shows that the administration has failed to act despite all its tall promises. Artificial floods have now become a regular feature of our city, but there has been no attempt to find a scientific and permanent solution to the problem,� said Dwip Baruah, president of Nabin Nagar Welfare Society.
He said the local social welfare societies of the city would soon meet the Chief Minister and the Minister for Guwahati Development Department with a memorandum to look into the issue and find ways to solve the problem.
District administration sources said all efforts are on to ensure that rain water could be diverted from residential localities within the shortest possible time in case of heavy showers.
�The civic staff are at work and the Deputy Commissioner last week directed all departments to draw up a plan of action to deal with any contingency during the monsoon period,� said an official.
