Heavy Rain Lashes Guwahati, Disrupts Normal Life

A heavy spell of overnight rain wreaked havoc across Assam’s capital city, Guwahati, on Tuesday, flooding major roads and residential areas, disrupting daily life, and throwing traffic into disarray.

Several localities including Zoo Road, Nabin Nagar, Hatigaon, Ganeshguri, Gita Nagar, Maligaon, Hedayetpur, Guwahati Club, Ulubari, Lachit Nagar, Chandmari, and Panjabari were left waterlogged, with some areas submerged in knee- to chest-deep water.

Commuters waded through flooded streets, while numerous vehicles, including ambulances, were stranded due to the deluge. Major roads such as GS Road, Jorabat, and VIP Road, along with areas like Tarun Nagar, Jatia, Jyotikuchi, and Chatribari, were also severely affected by waterlogging.

With internal school exams underway, several schools were forced to shut down for the day, citing flooded campuses and inoperable school buses. As the day progressed, massive traffic jams were reported across almost all parts of the city.

Rainwater entered hundreds of homes in the so-called 'smart city', while many areas experienced power outages.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Guwahati recorded 112.5 mm of rainfall as of Tuesday morning. The IMD has forecast more heavy to very heavy rain across Assam for the next 2–3 days, warning of worsening conditions in the western and southern districts, with isolated areas potentially receiving up to 200 mm of rainfall.

The department cautioned that continued downpours could lead to aggravated flooding, disrupted traffic, and risks of tree falls or localised landslides in vulnerable areas.

Civic authorities have activated emergency response systems and urged residents—especially those in low-lying or hillside areas—to remain alert. Officials advised commuters to avoid unnecessary travel and to monitor weather alerts closely.

Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Jayanta Malla Baruah visited some of the affected areas on a two-wheeler early Tuesday. Speaking to reporters, he acknowledged the added challenge of rainwater flowing down from the neighbouring Meghalaya hills, overwhelming the city’s drainage systems.

“Our sluice gates are not enough to handle such heavy inflows,” he said, adding that efforts to pump out floodwaters are ongoing but have seen limited success.

Baruah also reiterated Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s controversial claim that the University of Science and Technology Meghalaya (USTM), located near the Assam-Meghalaya border, was partly responsible for the worsening flood situation. He alleged that hill-cutting activities at the university’s campus had contributed to unchecked water flow into Guwahati.

Last August, Sarma had accused the USTM—run by Chancellor Mahbubul Hoque—of conducting a “flood jihad” by altering the landscape for construction purposes. The university is located in Ri-Bhoi district, just outside Guwahati.

Meanwhile, the Gauhati High Court had, in an earlier directive, criticized the Assam government for its lack of initiative in addressing the city’s chronic waterlogging issues. The court fined four departments ₹1,000 each for failing to respond to its repeated notices and demanded a concrete action plan to mitigate urban flooding.