JORHAT, July 1 � Seeking a permanent solution to flash-flood and water-logging problems in many urban localities of the town, several denizens of the affected areas rued that a couple of hours of rain results in a struggle for them to save their residential campuses in the municipal areas, where many drains are clogged and the two main canals of rivulets like Tocklaijan and Tarajan were narrowed by encroachers some years ago.
The findings of the Agricultural Meteorology department of the Assam Agricultural University (AAU) here revealed that the town and its adjoining areas witnessed the highest amount of daily rainfall measuring 91.8 mm last Sunday this year flooding residential premises at Rupalinagar, Tarajan Kakotygaon, Sonarigaon, Tarajan Brahmangaon, Borpul Gohaintekela Gaon, Sandoi Tekelagaon and many other localities on both sides of the AT Road in Jorhat.
Many locals residents of Tarajan Kakotygaon and Sonarigaon said that authorities have neither kept any provision of any storm water drain to take out the rain water from the vast Jail Road area and Barveta to the main canal of Tarajan, during the construction of boundary walls and buildings of the Jorhat Medical College and Hospital (JMCH), near these localities. According to them, the old canals located at the construction sites, were blocked during the construction, which caused water-logging problems in the Tarajan localities.
�We never saw rain water accumulating on our lane and residential premises before the construction of JMCH buildings. Since 2011, the problem has become massive,� said a 54 year-old resident of Tarajan Kakotygaon, Ajit Bordoloi.
The main connecting road of his area witnessed severe water-logging problem since Sunday morning. As several residential premises are nearly one foot below the lane-level, the courtyards remained waterlogged for the whole day.
�One of the main reasons of the massive water-logging problem of our locality, is the violation of civic laws during construction of a large number of buildings. If the old canals are blocked during new construction of houses and boundary walls, how can the rain water flow down to low-lying areas,� asks Pabitra Tamuli of Borpul Gohai Tekelagaon of the city.
Some other citizens alleged that the administration allowed the construction of a large number of commercial buildings in several low-lying areas near the town through illegal conversion of agricultural land into commercial land a few years ago and this has resulted in flash floods and water-logging.
Citizens of worst-affected Club Road area requested the Deputy Commissioner to take effective measures to clear the drains, most of which remained clogged and shallow. �Cleaning of clogged drains is the urgent job of the municipality and the district administration. For a permanent solution, an eviction drive in the main water-carrying canals of Tocklaijan and Tarajan must be done. We request the Deputy Commissioner to take effective measures, as soon as possible, for a permanent solution to this major civic problem of Jorhat,� said retired civil engineer and educationist Bhaba Chetia.
