As the monsoon clouds loom large over the Northeast, Guwahati - the region’s most prominent urban center and gateway - once again braces itself for the seasonal test of resilience. The question on every citizen's mind remains the same: Has the Assam Government truly learnt from last year’s urban flooding debacle?

Recurring Crisis, Rhetoric of Readiness

Each year, Guwahati witnesses the same cycle: torrential rains, submerged streets, paralyzed traffic, and finger-pointing between civic bodies. Despite repeated assurances of proactive planning, the city continues to suffer from chronic urban flooding - a symptom of deeper governance and planning failures.

In 2024, areas like Anil Nagar, Nabin Nagar, Panjabari, Hatigaon and Chandmari were reduced to makeshift ponds, with residents wading through waist-deep water. This year, the government claimed to have launched massive desilting operations and drainage upgrades. Yet, early non-monsoon showers in April 2025 have already exposed the superficiality of these efforts. Waterlogging returned with predictable vengeance, and videos of submerged vehicles and flooded homes began circulating online again.

The Drainage Master Plan: A Half-Measured Lifeline

The Guwahati Drainage Master Plan, projected as a long-term solution, has seen selective implementation. While major outfalls have been cleared in patches, the city’s drainage interconnectedness remains largely ignored. Natural stormwater channels like the Bharalu and Mora Bharalu continue to be choked by encroachments, silt, and waste, effectively rendering the plan ineffective where it matters most.

What’s more troubling is the lack of a unified command structure. Coordination among the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC), Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA), and the Public Works Department (PWD) remains fragmented. When agencies operate in silos, accountability becomes a casualty.

Technology vs. Ground Reality

The Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC), introduced under the Smart City Mission, has been showcased as a digital leap in disaster response. While it helps track rainfall, traffic snarls, and issue alerts, its real-time benefits are yet to be felt by the common citizen stuck in knee-deep water. The smart city apparatus looks sleek on dashboards, but its practical utility remains questionable in flood-prone slums and marginalized localities.

Moreover, the installation of new stormwater pumps in a few locations is more symbolic than structural. Most neighborhoods still rely on archaic, clogged drains to evacuate massive volumes of water. Without a comprehensive overhaul, technology alone cannot fix decades of urban mismanagement.

Unplanned Urban Growth: The Core Villain

The root cause of Guwahati’s monsoon misery lies in its unregulated urban sprawl. With hillocks being flattened for construction, wetlands filled for real estate, and drainage networks left overstretched, the city’s carrying capacity has been grossly breached. The government’s development vision, while ambitious, rarely includes climate resilience or sustainable urban planning.

The irony is stark: Guwahati is growing fast, but not wisely. And each monsoon lays bare the cost of this haste.

Waking Up Late, Acting Half-Heartedly

To the credit of the Assam Government, there is greater visibility of effort this year. Awareness campaigns have increased, and some infrastructural interventions show intent. But intent without execution is futile. Guwahati needs a holistic, multi-agency flood mitigation roadmap - not patchwork fixes or PR exercises.

Until that happens, the monsoon will remain not just a season, but a city-wide emergency.