Incessant rains cause mini flood at Chandicharan Road, residents block road

Aug 8: Artificial flood at many areas of Silchar town after a spell of rain is nothing new. This phenomenon has been witnessed by the inhabitants of Silchar for more than a decade. The only difference is that of degree of accumulated water. Year by year, the level of accumulated water after rainfall has increased. Such an instance was seen at Chandicharan Road, opposite Sanjay Market, Silchar.

The residents of Chandicharan Road being frustrated at constant rain water accumulation in their area took to a protest movement on Saturday, thereby blocking their road. Hundreds of residents, both men and women, took to the streets raising slogans against the Silchar Municipality for failing to provide a decent civic life. After incessant shower on Friday night, rainwater entered inside the houses of most of the residents of Chandicharan Road on Saturday.

While expressing their views to the media, the residents of the locality alleged that on 26 July, when they experienced a similar situation of water logging, MLA Silchar, Deputy Commissioner of Cachar, Executive Officer of SMB, officials of PWD, Silchar Development Authority made a survey of the area and assured to start work of cleaning the drains within a day or two. But since then, more than 10 days have elapsed, but nothing has been done to mitigate their problem.

They also alleged that water from Public School Road, Bilpar flows through Chandicharan Road after the Rangirkhal gets filled up. The Rangirkhal too has not been cleaned, whose depth was reduced as a result of accumulation of garbage. This results in flooding of Chandicharan road even after a spell of shower. They stated that a small drain once existed near Sanjay Market at Rangirkhari, which in the course of time has become non-existent now. This they regarded as a major cause of mini flood in their locality.

“We were assured multiple times by the erstwhile MLA Dilip Kumar Paul of a motor pump to drain out the accumulated water. But that promise too was never fulfilled. Today, we became bound to hire a pump and drain out the water at Rangirkhal,” said a resident. Meanwhile, when water was drained by the pump from Chandicharan Road to Rangirkhal, another problem arose. As the depth of Rangirkhal has decreased, after pumping out the water from Chandicharan Road, it entered into the houses of people residing at Shiv Colony.

In order to pacify the people, Circle Officer, Jituraj Gogoi went to Chandicharan Road. He was given a memorandum by the people of that locality highlighting their problem. Mr Gogoi assured the people of the area that he will take up the matter immediately with the Deputy Commissioner, Silchar Municipal Board and PWD and would take steps to solve the issue. After getting assurance from the Circle Officer, the blockade was withdrawn by the public.