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The Assam government in collaboration with the Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA), carried out an eviction drive on Tuesday at the Omeo Kumar Das Institute of Social Change and Development in the Chachal area of Guwahati, with the vision of making Guwahati flood-free in the years to come.
This eviction is part of the ongoing drive targeting encroachments in the wetland area near Silsako Beel. Assam Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Jayanta Mallabaruah led the operation and emphasised the government's commitment to resolving Guwahati's persistent flooding issues. He further explained that one of the major reasons behind Guwahati's flooding is the rapid water flow from Meghalaya, exacerbated by deforestation in the neighbouring state. "After rain, flooding in Guwahati is a huge problem. One of the reasons is water coming from Meghalaya. There are many organisations in Meghalaya that have erased greenery. And water flows downward very fast. The water crosses the highway here and enters Sikkim. Our effort is to divert it to the Brahmaputra. We are developing channels. We are doing an eviction drive to increase the retention capacity of the wetland named Silsako Beel," he said. Mallabaruah also spoke on the artificial flood in Guwahati and the state government's broader plan to transform the city into a flood-resilient urban centre. He further noted that the Omeo Kumar Das Institute had cooperated with the authorities during the eviction and that alternative land had been allocated to them. "They cooperated with us. We have allocated them different land. On May 30, we will carry out another eviction drive. The tennis court, the hotel and almost 500 institutes will be removed from here, and the land will be converted into a retention tank. Water will be stored here and shifted to the Brahmaputra. Work is happening in the proper direction, and flooding in Guwahati would be reduced," he added. Mallabaruah further stated that, under the leadership of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, the work is being carried out scientifically. "The problem would be solved in two to three years," he added. (ANI)
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