Guwahati Residents Intensify Calls for Water Body Restoration as Elections Approach
As poll campaigning gains momentum in Guwahati, citizens have amplified their demands for immediate government action to clean and rehabilitate ecologically vital yet severely polluted water bodies scattered across the city. For years, these river channels and wetlands have endured unchecked waste dumping, encroachment, and the influx of untreated sewage, transforming them from lifelines into sources of distress.
Health and Environmental Crisis in Urban Areas
Local residents report that foul odors, persistent waterlogging, and elevated health risks have made daily life increasingly miserable. The Bharalu river channel, originally designed as a storm-water reservoir, has deteriorated into little more than a drain over time. In the Bhaskarnagar area, which spans wards 20 and 21 of the Guwahati central constituency, people like Binoy Deb highlight the unbearable stench and health hazards posed by the polluted Bharalu. "We have been living with the stench emanating from the Bharalu for years. It is almost unbearable now," Deb stated, echoing widespread community frustration.
Neglect of Potential Tourist Sites
In Ward No. 18 of the same constituency, the Borsola wetland, with significant potential for development as a tourist attraction, remains in a deplorable state due to rampant garbage dumping. This waterbody receives sewage from various locations, and its outflow is directed through sluice gates on the southern side into the Bharalu, eventually merging with the Brahmaputra River. Despite efforts by the Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA), such as installing a 2 million liters per day sewage treatment plant (STP), the capacity falls far short of requirements. Rabindra Nath, a voter and president of the 'Save Bharalu' citizens' forum, emphasized this inadequacy.
Proposed Solutions and Electoral Accountability
Nath advocates for a viable solution: trapping drain water and channeling it into STPs. "This process would help produce cleaner water, while the solid waste extracted during treatment could be repurposed as manure," he explained. The forum has urged political parties to commit to this issue in their election manifestos, as urban voters increasingly link environmental governance with electoral accountability. With pollution threatening public health and ecological balance, the call for restoration grows louder, putting pressure on candidates to address these critical civic concerns during the ongoing election season.
