Guwahati: Several parts of the city remained waterlogged on Friday, a day after incessant rainfall disrupted daily life and left residents of low-lying localities struggling with flooded homes, restricted movement and growing sanitation concerns. Although the rain stopped, stagnant water continued to inundate roads and residential neighbourhoods.Guwahati recorded 7.4 mm of rainfall on Thursday, triggering waterlogging in areas including Rukminigaon, Beltola, Satgaon, Bhetkuchi and Hatigaon. While water receded from some major stretches, several localities remained submerged.Dispur MLA Pradyut Bordoloi, addressing the media, said the flash floods were a major cause for concern this time. He claimed a significant portion of the floodwater flowed in from Meghalaya and attributed the situation largely to hill cutting in the neighbouring state. He added that the district administration and disaster management authorities responded promptly after Thursday night’s downpour and took immediate measures to address the situation.“Currently, 27 water pumps have been dispatched to flush out the water. The Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) and the Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) have their own pumps. I have also spoken to the Public Works Department (PWD) for pumping out water, especially in the Rukminigaon area. Flushing out water from these areas is the main priority,” Bordoloi said.Calling the fixes long term, Bordoloi also blamed illegal encroachments for blocking the city’s natural drainage channels, warning that unless these are removed, Guwahati will continue to face flooding.Residents in several areas were stranded in their homes and sought help from rubber boats deployed by the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF). “Even with an hour of rain, the area gets flooded to waist-deep. Items in our home have been damaged, and it is a health hazard staying inside,” said Pranab Saikia, a Hatigaon resident.Another resident, Sharmila Bannerjee, said, “Last night there was no electricity in our area. Around 10 pm, we saw our house was completely inundated, so we took a bus to our relatives’ house. We had to spend the night there.”
