Guwahati: Widespread resentment grew among city residents as heavy rain left Zubeen Kshetra in a deplorable condition. The memorial site to honour the cultural icon has turned into an eyesore for them.Zubeen’s wife, Garima Saikia Garg, arrived at the site immediately after the rain subsided to inspect the damage.The area was muddy, with earthen lamps laid as offerings filled with water, and the ‘gamosas’ placed as tribute were drenched. The tents set up at the site were soaked and pools of muddy water accumulated in different corners of the plot.CM Himanta Biswa Sarma has recently announced that 10 bighas will be allotted to the cultural affairs department for the development of the site. It has now become their responsibility to establish a concrete memorial.An engineer from the Public Works Department (building), Dispur and Dimoria division, speaking on condition of anonymity, said, “The memorial site is a temporary structure, as there were no earlier plans to concretise it. However, a committee has now been formed and the construction of a permanent structure is still in the planning stage. At present, we have received approval only for the construction of the boundary wall, while the rest of the work will begin once further approvals are granted.”The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecasted a cloudy sky with one or two spells of rain or thundershowers in Guwahati over the next few days during the pre-monsoon season. In the past 24 hours, the city recorded 1.4mm of rainfall, while the maximum temperature stood at 24.3°C. The rain that battered the site on Saturday night measured 24.1mm.Several parts of the city, including Kahilipara, Rukminigaon and Maligaon, were also waterlogged, with many residents expressing frustration over the govt’s slow approach to address the issue. With state elections approaching, the Model Code of Conduct is also expected to come into force soon, which could further delay ongoing projects.
