Guwahati: Housing and urban affairs minister Jayanta Mallabaruah laid the foundation stone for flood resilience projects along the GS road, with a special focus on the flood prone Rukminigaon area in the city, ahead of the assembly elections.The projects will address urban flooding through expansion of the Bahini river channel, Mallabaruah said.The initiative is part of the govt’s broader urban infrastructure upgrade programme, targeting recurring monsoon flooding that affects daily life, in key city areas. Despite leading to the city’s capital, GS road is one of those areas which has experienced water accumulation during rainfall, causing traffic snarls and damage to private property.“As the first step of the plan, excavation and strengthening the Bahini river channel will undertaken to increase its carrying capacity. The river flows from the Rukminigaon area to the supermarket area, and the first phase of the project will cost Rs 25 crore,” Mallabaruah said.The minister also said to further facilitate smooth flow of water from the Bahini river to the Brahmaputra, an additional Rs 148 crore will be provided by the Asian Development Bank. As an extension of the project, he said a pump house would be established on the Bharalu river channel to facilitate easier water pumping.According to a past survey conducted by the Guwahati Municipal Corporation, Rukminigaon was originally a high-lying area with minimal water-logging issues. However, the area began to witness urban settlement after the state capital shifted from Shillong to Guwahati, and by 1995-2000, it was almost fully developed. The area experienced its first water-logging incident in 2002.Rukminigaon, now being a lower-lying terrain along the Bahini channel, receives inflow from the Dispur supermarket area and the Dispur secretariat area, as well as an additional inflow from the wireless area near Basisthapur Bylanes 1 and 2.During heavy rainfall, overtopping of the Bahini river occurs at PIBCO Point and Chinaki Path due to excess water coming from Meghalaya. There is no natural path for the discharge of surface runoff and water can only be removed through pumping.The minister further said approximately 800 bighas are being excavated to expand the Silsako Beel, with the project planned for completion within this year. Once completed, it is expected to free the city from urban flooding. Simultaneously, plans have also been made for the expansion of Deepor Beel, which will be carried out in a systematic manner.
