GUWAHATI, Sept 26 - The Assam government today said the rainwater flowing down from the Meghalaya hills and flooding the areas in Guwahati is a new worry and a study is being done to mitigate the problem.
Replying on behalf of the GDD Minister after the issue was raised by AGP MLA Ramendra Narayan Kalita during Zero Hour, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary said the Jorabat, Khanapara, Panjabari, Basistha and Rukminigaon areas are being flooded frequently by the rainwater coming down from the Meghalaya hills.
�There have been heavy rains in Meghalaya and the capacity of the drains has diminished. The government has decided to conduct a study in order to mitigate the problem. The study will be carried out jointly by the ASDMA, IIT Guwahati and water resource experts,� Patowary said.
He, however, claimed that both short-term and long-term measures taken by the government have helped ease the water-logging problem in areas like Anil Nagar, Tarun Nagar, Nabin Nagar, RG Baruah Road, etc. �The measures have shown results and compared to last year, the flooding has been less this year. Earlier, the water used to stay for two, three days. Now, it is drained out in a few hours,� he claimed.
Patowary also said that to check the problem in the Dispur areas arising out of the Meghalaya rainwater, the PWD has taken up a project to construct 57 drains at a cost of Rs 84 crore. �The storm water will be drained out through Bondajan and to Deepor Beel. A diversion drain is being built from Bahini river to Silsako,� he said. The PWD (NH) is also building drains on the Khanapara-ISBT-Pamohi-LGBI Airport stretch, he added.
