- Guwahati will impose fines up to Rs 25,000 for blocking city drains during monsoon
- Drain blockage is a key cause of artificial flooding in Guwahati, says Mayor Sarania
- Illegal construction and debris dumping in drains will face strict penalties of Rs 25,000
In an effort to tackle waterlogging during monsoon, the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) will now impose penalties of up to Rs 25,000 on people found blocking drains or carrying out construction that hampers the city's drainage system.
Obstructing drains has emerged as one of the biggest reasons behind artificial flooding in several parts of Guwahati, the municipal corporation's mayor Mrigen Sarania said.
He said offences related to drain blockage would now attract much stricter action.
"Our biggest concern is the blocking of drains. We have fines of Rs 300, Rs 500 and Rs 1,600 for different civic violations, but when drains are blocked, rainwater cannot flow properly. This directly affects our urban and artificial forests and eventually leads to waterlogging," Mrigen Sarania said.
He pointed out that many cases of flooding are caused by human interference rather than rainfall alone.
"People often build shops, houses or approach roads over drains. In several places, drains are narrowed because of encroachment. Once the natural flow of water is disrupted, rainwater accumulates on roads instead of flowing through the drainage network. To prevent this, we have fixed a maximum fine of Rs 25,000 for anyone found blocking drains," the Mayor said.
Sarania also warned that the civic body will not spare illegal constructions over drains, canals or water bodies.
"We will take action against anyone who encroaches on drains or reservoirs. The same penalty of Rs 25,000 will also apply if soil, construction debris, concrete waste or any other material is dumped into drains during construction work. Such activities affect the entire city and cannot be allowed," he said.
Speaking about the city's desilting work, the mayor said the first phase has already been completed before the peak monsoon period.
"We have cleaned 556 small drains and five major drainage channels during the first phase. We are now in the maintenance phase, which will continue till December 31. Councillors, GMC officials and the district administration are regularly monitoring and cleaning the drainage network," he said.
According to Sarania, the continuous maintenance has already made a noticeable difference.
"Even after the recent heavy rainfall, Guwahati has largely been spared from the kind of widespread artificial flooding seen in previous years. We will continue regular maintenance throughout the monsoon and till the end of the year so that the drainage system remains effective," he added.
The GMC believes stricter enforcement against encroachments and improper construction around drains will help improve the city's drainage network, reduce waterlogging and protect its water bodies from further damage.
