Dibrugarh: With monsoon season barely weeks away, Sivasagar district administration has swung into action, launching a drain cleaning initiative across town to prevent waterlogging.
On Thursday, large-scale cleaning operations were carried out along two of the town's busiest thoroughfares — AT Road and Darbar Road — covering Wards 1, 2, 9, 10 and 11. Workers cleared accumulated silt, debris and blockages from the drainage channels.
Waterlogging during monsoon not only inconveniences residents but also impacts the town's tourism economy, making pre-monsoon preparedness a priority.
Heritage Destination Priority
“Sivasagar is a heritage destination that welcomes visitors from across the country and beyond. Ensuring that the town remains accessible and functional during the monsoon is our responsibility,” a district administration official said.
The monsoon typically arrives in Sivasagar and the broader upper Assam region during the first week of June, leaving authorities a narrow but workable window to complete essential preparedness measures. The drain cleaning drive will continue across other wards and roads in the coming days as the administration works systematically through the town's drainage network.
DC Inspection Guided Action
The initiative follows an earlier inspection conducted by Sivasagar District Commissioner Mridul Yadav, who personally visited waterlogging-prone areas across the town to assess vulnerabilities and direct remedial action. His ground-level review is understood to have provided the administration with a clearer picture of which zones require the most urgent attention, enabling a more targeted and efficient response.
“We identified the most flood-vulnerable stretches during the DC's inspection, and our teams are now working methodically to address each of them before the rains arrive. No area will be left unattended,” an official involved in the drive stated.
Historical Challenge
Waterlogging has historically been a recurring challenge for Sivasagar town, with heavy rainfall often overwhelming aging drainage infrastructure and leaving roads inundated for extended periods. Residents have long called for proactive intervention rather than reactive responses after flooding occurs.
Officials assured that the drive would be conducted with a sense of urgency, given the limited time available before June's anticipated onset of the monsoon. Additional cleaning teams are expected to be mobilised in the days ahead to accelerate progress across remaining wards.
Public Cooperation Sought
The administration has urged residents to cooperate by refraining from disposing of waste and debris into drains, warning that improper garbage disposal remains one of the leading contributors to drainage blockages and subsequent waterlogging across the town each monsoon season.
