Assam: Dibrugarh faces artificial floods, administration criticized

The Dibrugarh Municipal Corporation, known as the second municipal corporation in Assam after Guwahati, is facing severe challenges as the city contends with persistent artificial flooding.

For the past four days, Dibrugarh has been inundated with stagnant water, transforming streets and public spaces into veritable waterlogged zones reminiscent of an ocean.

The crisis has reached critical levels, with water breaching various divisional government and private offices, schools, and essential service buildings across the city.

Notably affected are the premises of the Dibrugarh court office, the social afforestation forest division offices, and key departments like the public health technical department. Major thoroughfares have also succumbed to the deluge, exacerbating traffic and accessibility concerns for residents.

Mayor Dr Saikat Patra acknowledged yesterday that the artificial embankments, coupled with inadequately constructed drainage systems, were primarily responsible for the calamity. Despite this admission, the situation remains dire, leaving residents and officials alike grappling with the aftermath of ineffective flood management.

Authorities are under increasing scrutiny for their perceived inability to mitigate the crisis promptly. Calls for urgent intervention have intensified as Dibrugarh residents endure the ongoing inundation, highlighting systemic failures in urban planning and disaster preparedness.

As the city braces for further rainfall, the focus now shifts to immediate remedial measures and long-term solutions to prevent such recurrent flooding in the future.