- NET Web Desk
Taking up the issue of flash floods in Guwahati, the Assam urban affairs minister Ashok Singhal said that a minimum of four years are required for Guwahati residents to get respite from perennial flooding.
Singhal told the media after laying the foundation stone of a park, “Flooding in the city cannot be solved in a year. It will take at least three to four years.”
The urban affairs minister further said, “If we can complete 25-30% this year, then we will cover another 25% by the next year.”
Meanwhile, the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) has already started de-silting the five river channels and 575 drains in the city in a bid to make them capable enough to carry storm water during the monsoon next year.
Reportedly, the GMC carried out the de-siltation process over 408 km at an expenditure of nearly Rs 70 crore.
GMC commissioner Devasish Sharma said, “Earlier, the GMC used to outsource the work to contractors. This year, the GMC has begun de-siltation work with its own manpower and advanced machinery that it has procured for the purpose. So, we have cut down on the budget.”
It may be mentioned that the GMC used to spend around Rs 140 crore for cleaning and desilting the drains every year due to lack of a long-term solution.
