Encroachment faulty drainage trigger artificial floods in Guwahati's Satgaon

Guwahati, Feb 1: Faulty drainage system and encroachments in Satgaon area are two main reasons that lead to artificial flood in the locality during the rainy season.

Talking to The Assam Tribune, residents of the area informed that large-scale encroachment over the drainage system which carries water from the hills of Amsing Jorabat areas to the natural channel at Patharquarry is one of the major reasons behind the artificial flood in the area.

Many localities of Satgaon also get inundated due to encroachment over a number of drains in the area which carry water to Silsako Beel.

"The drain which carries water from the hills of Amsing Jorabat areas to the natural channel at Patharquarry is actually around 12 feet wide and 7-8 feet deep. But due to rampant encroachment, the breadth has reduced to 3-4 feet in some parts. The alignment of the drain has also been affected at the railway crossing point, which disrupts the flow of water during rainy days, leading to waterlogging in nearby area," Brigadier (retd) AK Pait, a resident the area, told The Assam Tribune.

Pait alleged that the problem of water-logging on the main road of Satgaon has increased manifold after construction of the concrete bridge over the natural water channel at Patharquarry.

"Due to some engineering fault, the elevation of the drain was increased at the outlet point after construction of the bridge. As a result, it is causing waterlogging in the area. At the same time, the actual width of the drain was not maintained at the outlet point. It is due to such indifferent attitude of the authority concerned common people are suffering a lot," Pait said.

Anil Choudhury, a senior citizen of the area, said that most of the interior areas of Satgaon have been facing the brunt of artificial flood due to large-scale encroachment over the outlets of many drains which carry water to Silsako Beel.

"Due to the faulty drainage systems, we are suffering a lot. Every year, artificial flood damages our properties. From the last two years, the problem has aggravated. The authorities must take stern action against the encroachers," Choudhury said.

Talking about the problems of Satgaon area, another resident Utpal Saikia said that the area almost turns into an island after heavy rainfall, as water-logging affects both the main roads in Satgaon and Panjabari areas.

"The artificial flood is a serious problem for the residents of Satgaon. Road communication is badly affected due to waterlogging every day during the rainy season. There is an urgent need to rectify the loopholes of the drainage system in the area, so that all the ex-cess water could channelize to the Silsako Beel," Saikia said.

Apart from the artificial flood issue, depletion of ground water level is also posing a major challenge for the residents of Satgaon area.

Talking about this problem, Pait said that around 25 years ago, ground water was available at a depth of around 90 feet. But in recent years, the ground water level has depleted to 250 feet below the ground. However, the area is yet to be covered by water supply projects of the Jal Board.

"Construction of a number of apartments and establishment of a packaged water bottling plant are two major reasons behind the problem. As a result, the common people are suffering a lot. It is not financially viable for everyone to set up deep boring. So most people now rely on private water suppliers," he said.

With the demand to start supply of potable water, residents of Satgaon have already moved the State Government. They have also informed Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma about the ill-effects of packaged water bottling plants. But the State Government is yet to take any step in this regard, the locals lamented.

By Manash Pratim Dutta