Minister Kaushik Rai steps up efforts to prevent urban flooding in Guwahati

Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Kaushik Rai today chaired a high-level review meeting with senior officials of the Department of Housing & Urban Affairs to assess the prevailing flood situation in Greater Guwahati and the National Highways passing through the city.

The meeting was attended by the Commissioner & Secretary and Secretary of the Department of Housing & Urban Affairs, the Chief Executive Officer of GMDA, the Commissioner of GMC, the Commissioner & Special Secretary of the Public Works Roads Department (PWRD), officials of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), and other concerned departments.

During the meeting, the Minister reviewed the progress made on the decisions taken in the previous review meeting and assessed the status of the ongoing flood mitigation measures.

Detailed discussions were held on the effective deployment of the Super Sucker by the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC), resectioning and redesigning of culverts along the National Highways, desiltation of drains, improvement of the drainage network, and other engineering interventions aimed at enhancing stormwater management across the city.

Emphasising the need for a sustainable solution to Guwahati’s recurring urban flooding, Rai directed the concerned departments to prepare a comprehensive masterplan for systematic cleaning and maintenance of the city’s drainage network well ahead of the monsoon season every year. He stressed that preventive measures and scientific planning must form the cornerstone of the city’s long-term flood management strategy.