Guwahati: Gauhati high court has directed state govt to file an affidavit stating the details regarding the proposals as part of long-term planning provided by the Netherlands’ company to mitigate urban flooding in Guwahati, funding of the project, and the expected time for completion of the project by Sept 30.State govt submitted before the court in Oct last year that a Dutch company by the name of Royal Haskoning DHV Consultancy Pvt Ltd was entrusted with the task of formulating policies and plans to mitigate urban flooding in Guwahati.The bench of chief justice Ashutosh Kumar and justice Arun Dev Choudhury was hearing a batch of petitions flagging the issues related to the artificial flooding in the city, attributing this primarily to earth-cutting activities in and around the city.The bench stated that the affidavit filed by state govt indicates the six short-term measures which have been taken to prevent flash flooding in the city of Guwahati.The court requests Amicus Curiae senior advocate KN Choudhury to come up with further suggestions relating to short-term measures, which state govt may take to ameliorate the already deteriorated condition. “We hope and trust that the short-term measures, which are being taken by the state administration, shall continue unabated,” the bench stated in the order.The court further stated that so far as the long-term planning for controlling floods and waterlogging during rainy days in the city of Guwahati is concerned, a company of the Netherlands was entrusted with the task of formulating policies and plans for the needful. “The firm, according to the advocate general, Assam, has given its report. The advocate general shall cause an affidavit to be filed in the registry by the next date, with details regarding the proposals made by the Netherlands firm, funding of the project and the expected time for completion of the project,” the bench stated.The bench took note of the fact that the drains get clogged shortly after they are cleaned and the reason is the slush, which is taken out and stored by the side of the road to be taken away to the dumping ground by another vehicle, but in the meantime, if there comes a spell of rain, then the entire slush goes back to the drains which have been cleaned.“For that, the municipal authorities would have to be more careful in taking away or removing the slush taken out from the drains immediately and that no slush is left on the roadside to be collected later,” the court stated.Advocate general D Saikia submitted that he shall take up the matter with the municipal authorities and shall also ensure that the issue is seriously addressed by the state administration and that all necessary measures are taken to improve the situation.
