Assam to ink MoU with Dutch firm Haskoning DHV Consulting to combat urban flooding in Guwahati tomorrow

Guwahati, August 20: In a bid to address the persistent issue of urban flooding in Guwahati, the government is set to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Haskoning DHV Consulting Pvt. Ltd., a Dutch firm on August 21 to resolve the issue.

Advocate General for the Government of Assam, Devajit Saikia, revealed this development during a recent hearing at the Gauhati High Court.

Saikia informed the court that the MoU would mark the beginning of collaboration with the Dutch firm, which has been selected to devise a comprehensive plan to mitigate the urban flooding crisis.

This initiative follows a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by the North East Eco Development Society, which drew attention to the severe flooding issues in the city.

The PIL prompted the court to demand detailed plans and measures from the state government.

In response, the Advocate-General outlined that the foreign firm was chosen through a tender process to resolve the problem in Guwahati.

The High Court has directed the state to submit a detailed affidavit outlining all actions taken by various government departments to tackle the flooding issue.

This affidavit is expected to be presented during the court's next hearing on August 27.

The North East Eco-Development Society told The Assam Tribune that the next date of hearing of the PIL filed by the NGO is August 29.

While the Gauhati High Court had sought the government departments to share the steps taken by them to tackle the flood issue, as of now only the Forest Department and the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) has submitted the measures taken by them.

Responding to the question as to why a Netherlands’ firm, a member of the NGO said that it is the government’s discretion to choose who to give the tender to; adding that the firm "must have met some government criteria".

Earlier, the August 5 deluge, which resulted from just two hours of rainfall, highlighted the city's vulnerability to flooding once again.

Residents were left stranded, and the incident sparked questions about the adequacy of existing flood management measures.

Meanwhile, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a fresh warning of isolated heavy rainfall in Assam and other northeastern states, with the Regional Weather Forecasting Centre placing Assam under a yellow alert.

The Assam government’s proactive steps, including the upcoming partnership with the Dutch firm, are expected to address the ongoing urban flooding challenges and improve the city's resilience against future deluges.