GUWAHATI: Guwahati’s Lalmati Service Lane, along NH-27, continues to remain waterlogged even 5–6 days after the last spell of rain, causing severe inconvenience to local residents, commuters, students and shopkeepers.
The prolonged waterlogging has affected businesses in the area and created difficulties for students and parents travelling to nearby schools. Residents said the problem has persisted for several days, with stagnant water making movement through the service lane difficult.
Speaking to GPlus, a local shopkeeper said the area, located near the BJP office and the residence of MP Dilip Saikia, faces a major waterlogging problem as rainwater flows down from the nearby hills, carrying soil and sand that block the drains.
“About 10 days ago, after a spell of rain, the water rose so high it nearly submerged cars. Even though the rain happened around 6 to 7 days ago, the water still hasn’t receded,” the shopkeeper said.
Residents said the stagnant water is creating problems for daily commuters, parents taking their children to school and local businesses.
Locals also alleged that authorities visit the area occasionally, carry out limited cleaning and leave without addressing the underlying drainage problem.
“Right now, there is no outlet for this water to drain out properly. Occasionally, civic workers come in, lift one or two drain slabs, do a bit of surface cleaning, and then leave. That kind of superficial effort isn’t solving anything,” another local shopkeeper said.
Meanwhile, an official of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) said that drains in the nearby hill areas had been connected to NH-27 by the Public Works Department (PWD), contributing to the persistent waterlogging in the area.
“Without informing us, the Public Works Department (PWD) has connected drains to NH-27. So, even if it rains in the nearby hills, water flows down to this area, and the waterlogging persists for many days,” the NHAI official said.
The official added that NHAI would look into the issue and try to find a solution, while stressing that collaborative efforts among all civic authorities would be required to address the problem permanently.