Guwahati: A 30-year-old woman died after falling into a drain in the flooded Maligaon area of the city amid heavy rain that began on Sunday evening and continued till past midnight in Guwahati. Widespread flooding affected both residential and commercial areas, leaving vital arterial roads submerged till Monday noon.According to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), Payel Nath fell into a drain at Maligaon Chariali. She was rescued in coordination with Guwahati fire & emergency services and local police and taken to Pandu FRU Hospital, where doctors later declared her dead.A relative said Nath, who was married, was returning home in Majirgaon after work at a jewellery shop when Maligaon was flooded. “Her husband was going to bring her home. She was with another woman who later said she fell into a drain and was carried away about 150 metres. Her body was found around 2.30am,” the relative said. The incident reportedly took place between 9pm and 10pm.In connection with the incident, chief secretary Ravi Kota has asked the district commissioner of Kamrup (Metro) to institute a magisterial inquiry to determine the responsibility. “Incidents resulting in loss of life due to preventable causes are unacceptable and will be dealt with firmly,” Kota said.Hundreds of people remained stranded in flooded parts of the city on Monday. The Kamrup (Metro) district administration ordered schools to be shut, while Gauhati University also remained closed on Monday.Two toll-free numbers were activated for rescue operations, and rubber boats were used in the worst-hit areas. Based on distress calls, fire & emergency services and SDRF teams were deployed with boats. “So far, around 50 people have been evacuated from the affected areas,” ASDMA said.The District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), Kamrup (Metro), said water levels were receding and that 22 major pumps and 35 portable pumps were operating in areas such as Rukminigaon, Tarun Nagar, Anil Nagar, Lachit Nagar and Bharalumukh.Assam housing and urban affairs minister Jayanta Mallabaruah said in a social media post, “Due to the unexpected rainfall from yesterday evening to night, many areas in Guwahati have become waterlogged, disrupting normal life. The concerned authorities are continuing their efforts to control the situation day and night. In this situation, public awareness and cooperation are requested.”Dibya Jyoti Kalita, a cab driver, said a 30-km journey from the Guwahati airport to Khanapara took over three hours. “On the flyovers built on National Highway 27, all the vehicles came to a halt. The drivers were not ready to go down as it may damage the engines. So there was massive traffic,” he said.Amid concerns over the safety of EVMs stored at Maniram Dewan Trade Centre, the election department said the machines and VVPATs were secure. “Although there was temporary waterlogging in and around certain parts of the campus due to heavy rain, no water has entered the main building housing the Strong Room,” the statement said.Citing the IMD forecast, ASDMA warned that Assam is likely to see more intense rainfall in the coming days. “In Guwahati city, continued downpours could aggravate waterlogging, slow vehicular movement and increase the risk of tree falls and localised landslides in vulnerable pockets. City authorities are closely monitoring the situation, and emergency response systems are being kept on alert,” it said.
