Dibrugarh: In a concerted effort to tackle the chronic problem of waterlogging that plagues Jorhat town each monsoon season, the Jorhat District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) and the Jorhat Municipal Board (JMB) on Wednesday jointly launched a special cleaning drive targeting the long-neglected Tocklai river. The initiative aims to restore the river’s natural flow by clearing accumulated garbage and debris, thereby easing pressure on the town’s overburdened drainage network and reducing flood risks in the months ahead.The Tocklai river — a small but historically significant tributary of the Bhogdoi river — once served as a vital watercourse running through major parts of Jorhat’s urban landscape before meeting the Tarajan stream on the town’s northwestern outskirts. For generations, the river was a lifeline for the city, and its banks hold a place of pride in India’s tea heritage. The world-renowned Tocklai Tea Research Centre, recognised as the oldest tea research institute in the world, was established along its shores, forever linking the river to Jorhat’s identity as one of Assam’s foremost tea-producing regions.Decades of neglect, however, have left the Tocklai a shadow of its former self. The river suffered a decisive blow during the catastrophic floods of 1987, when a portion of its course merged with the Bhogdoi river, causing water levels in the Tocklai to fall sharply. With its flow weakened and civic attention diverted elsewhere, the river gradually became a convenient dumping ground for residents living along its banks. Unchecked garbage disposal, untreated waste, and rampant illegal encroachments slowly strangled the waterbody, reducing what was once a free-flowing river to a polluted, debris-choked channel struggling to carry even modest volumes of water.This degraded state now contributes significantly to waterlogging across Jorhat town. When the drainage system, already under strain, fails to discharge excess rainwater efficiently, low-lying neighbourhoods bear the brunt — with standing water disrupting livelihoods, damaging property, and raising public health concerns.The current cleaning drive, officials said, is a direct attempt to reverse this trajectory. Workers have been deployed to remove layers of solid waste, silt, and encroachments that have accumulated over years, with the goal of restoring adequate water discharge capacity before the onset of the monsoon.Jorhat district commissioner Jay Shivani stressed the urgency and long-term vision behind the initiative. “By streamlining the water discharge system of the Tocklai, we aim to reduce the excess pressure on the town’s drainage network and help prevent potential flood situations. The river deteriorated because of years of collective neglect. Its restoration will require collective responsibility. We appeal to residents along its banks to stop using the Tocklai as a dumping zone and cooperate with the authorities,” she said.Officials from the Jorhat Municipal Board echoed the call, indicating that the drive would be sustained in the coming weeks, with periodic monitoring to ensure that cleared stretches are not re-encroached or polluted.
