Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has acknowledged that rapid urban development without adequate drainage planning is contributing to recurring instances of artificial flooding in key cities across the state. He questioned the direction of water flow, noting that vacant land can absorb excess water, but construction on such land can exacerbate flooding.
The Chief Minister emphasised the urgent need for improved drainage infrastructure, stating that current systems are unable to cope with the pace of urban expansion. “As development progresses, the issue of artificial floods will keep coming up,” he said, highlighting the problem’s prevalence in cities like Guwahati, Dibrugarh, and Silchar.
While stressing the importance of development, CM Sarma underscored the need for sustainable urban planning to prevent repeated flooding. “We will have to come up with drainage and resolve this,” he concluded.
Earlier, the Chief Minister visited a relief camp in flood-hit Sribhumi district, assessing the situation and highlighting the government’s commitment to addressing the issue. The state’s urban planning and drainage infrastructure will likely undergo significant changes to mitigate the impact of artificial floods in the future.
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