GUWAHATI : Yet another spell of rain on Sunday brought Guwahati's eastern gateway to a standstill as severe waterlogging at Jorabat submerged stretches of National Highway-27, triggering massive traffic congestion and exposing the failure of authorities to find a lasting solution to a problem that has plagued commuters for years.
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Within a short period of rainfall, water accumulated beneath the Jorabat flyover, forcing vehicles to slow down and resulting in long queues of trucks, buses, private vehicles and commercial transport on both sides of the highway. The congestion affected thousands of commuters travelling between Guwahati, Byrnihat and Shillong, with many remaining stuck for hours.
For residents and daily commuters, Sunday's scenes were painfully familiar.
"Every monsoon we face the same ordeal. It doesn't matter whether the rain is heavy or moderate—Jorabat gets flooded and traffic comes to a halt. Authorities pump out the water, but the next rain brings the same crisis," said a daily commuter.
Commercial vehicle operators expressed frustration over repeated delays.
"This is the main gateway to Meghalaya and much of the Northeast. Every hour lost here means financial losses for transporters and delays in the movement of essential goods," said a truck driver waiting in the traffic queue.
The recurring flooding has once again reignited questions about why no permanent drainage solution has been implemented despite years of public complaints and repeated monsoon disruptions. Residents argue that temporary dewatering operations after every rainfall cannot substitute for proper stormwater infrastructure and scientific drainage planning.
"This has become an annual ritual. Waterlogging, traffic jam, official assurances, and then silence until the next rainfall," said another commuter.
Urban planning experts have long attributed the flooding to inadequate drainage capacity, encroachment on natural water channels, silted drains and increasing surface runoff due to rapid urbanisation. Despite repeated maintenance drives and temporary interventions, the problem continues to recur almost every monsoon.
As more rainfall is forecast during the ongoing monsoon season, commuters fear that Sunday's disruption may be only the beginning of another season marked by traffic paralysis at one of Northeast India's busiest transport corridors.
For thousands who rely on Jorabat every day, the question remains unchanged: if the problem has been known for years, why is a permanent solution still nowhere in sight?