Civic issues plague city's oldest locality Guwahati Club, residents seek relief

Guwahati, Dec 29: Located at the heart of the city, Guwahati Club is one of the oldest localities of the city. However, like many other parts of the city, the residents of Guwahati Club area too have also been enduring numerous civic issues for quite a long time.

Speaking to The Assam Tribune, former Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) councilor and a resident of area Nijamul Haque highlighted that among many other issues, traffic congestion, water logging and scarcity of potable water are some of the critical problems that the locals have been facing for years.

"Traffic congestion is a serious issue in the Guwahati Club area. For a long time, we have been urging the State government to chalk out a proper plan to address the issue. At present, due to the ongoing flyover construction works, the problem has turned critical. Many years ago, I proposed a plan to construct an alternate road alongside the railway track to minimize the traffic load on the MRD Road. It could have been a solution to the traffic congestion. However, the authorities concerned did not take it seriously," Haque said.

He further noted that the faulty drainage system has been a severe problem in the area, due to which locals face heavy waterlogging after every spell of rain.

"The waterlogging problem in the area has started around 15 years ago. The main reason behind the situation is the clogged drains and the faulty desiltation works. All drainage outlets in the area are either blocked by siltation or narrowed down by encroachers, thereby worsening the situation. We need regular and scientific desiltation of drainage to solve the problem," he added.

Pratul Barman, another resident of the area, stated that the lack of proper garbage management is also a serious problem in the greater Guwahati Club area. "GMC workers conduct door-to-door garbage collection drives regularly in the area. However, their manpower and infrastructure are not enough to cater to the need. So, most people opt to throw garbage on the roadside. Public dump garbage along the roadside at night hours and the GMC workers collect the same in the morning. It is an unhygienic process and a threat to public health," Barman said.

Talking about the waterlogging problem, he said that waterlogging was never an issue for the residents in the area around two decades back. However, unplanned construction and development have made the situation worse in recent times.

"Waterlogging after every spell of rain in the area has become a common scene. We have been facing frequent waterlogging in the area for the last five to six years. During the rainy season, the Guwahati Club area is affected a lot. The faulty drainage system is the main reason behind the situation. There is no proper outlet for the drainage of the area. As per our knowledge, there is a blockage in the drainage in the Ulubari area. The huge siltation has also decreased the water carrying capacity of drainage," he stated.

Barman alleged that the desiltation process of drainage has proved to be ineffective as GMC has made it a practice to keep the silt on the roadside after the extraction is done, owing to which the silt again gets transferred to the drain following rainfall.

Another resident of the area, SN Farid, said that the dilapidated condition of the by lanes in the area is another major problem for the locals.

"Waterlogging along with bad road conditions makes our life miserable during the rainy season. Now, the authority has constructed some drains in the area. But the quality of the work is very low. The entire drainage system in the area is unscientific with no proper outlet, due to which we face waterlogging," Farid said.

He further noted that although both GMC and Guwahati Jal Board are supplying water to the area, the water is not potable. As a result, most people rely on private suppliers and packaged drinking water for daily use. He also pointed out that the bad condition of the service lane has aggravated the traffic congestion.

By-

Manash Pratim Dutta