Written by Kishor Kumar Kalita and Mahesh Deka
Every monsoon, the rain turns Guwahati’s roads into rivers, neighbourhoods into waterlogged islands and everyday journeys into ordeals. But the city’s recurring floods are no longer confined to the rainy season or a handful of vulnerable localities. Even a brief downpour can bring large parts of the metropolitan area to a standstill, inundating homes, disrupting businesses and, at times, claiming lives.
Beneath this growing urban crisis lies a deeper story of a city that has gradually buried its wetlands, choked its natural waterways and expanded across its geographical limitations. Decades of unplanned urbanisation have transformed Guwahati’s natural drainage landscape into a concrete maze, leaving a pressing question: can a city that has progressively destroyed its natural flood defences ever find a lasting solution to its water woes? Historical accounts, geological observations and the experiences of long-time residents suggest that the crisis is deeply rooted in decades of indiscriminate hill cutting, reclamation of wetlands and water bodies, obstruction of natural drainage channels and unregulated urban expansion.
Once characterised by hills, wetlands, ponds, marshes and interconnected natural waterways, Guwahati has undergone extensive transformation over the decades. Much of its urban expansion has taken place over low-lying areas that historically functioned as natural water retention zones. The consequences are now visible across the metropolitan area, where localities that previously remained largely unaffected by flooding are experiencing prolonged waterlogging.
The worsening situation has also prompted questions about whether the city’s geographical limitations can be overcome through scientific flood management or whether the government is considering an alternative urban development strategy. Developments such as the proposed ring road around Guwahati and the proposal to shift the Gauhati High Court have further fuelled speculation about the future direction of the city’s development. However, the fundamental question remains whether the existing metropolitan area can be made resilient against recurring floods.
Guwahati’s geographical limitations and historical warnings
Historical accounts suggest that Guwahati’s geographical and environmental vulnerabilities were recognised long before the city expanded into a major urban centre. In his 1837 book Topography of Assam, John M’Cosh described Guwahati as a settlement situated on the left bank of the Brahmaputra, occupying a plain slightly above the river’s high-water mark.
He observed that the ground gradually sloped away from the river, eventually becoming low enough for rice cultivation or developing into marshes and wetlands. The inland boundary of the plain was surrounded by a semicircle of picturesque hills, with the Brahmaputra forming the other boundary. M’Cosh also expressed concerns about the city’s environmental conditions, describing it as an unhealthy settlement based on the accounts of local residents. He further noted that Guwahati had numerous deep ponds and water bodies that could not easily be drained, with clearing their extensive growth of floating vegetation requiring enormous labour and expenditure.
Another historical account came from Andrew J. Moffat Mills, a judge of the Calcutta Sadar Dewani Adalat, who visited Guwahati in May 1853 to examine matters relating to the Assamese language, revenue and administration. Mills observed that the Bharalu River’s banks were lower than those of the Brahmaputra. Consequently, during the monsoon, water from the Brahmaputra entered through the Bharalu and inundated the western parts of Guwahati.
The floodwater remained stagnant in ditches and wetlands throughout the year, creating conditions conducive to malaria. He also pointed out that the city’s main roads were neither sufficiently elevated nor broad, while several other areas were covered by swamps and jungles. According to his observations, Guwahati lacked an adequate drainage system to remove stagnant water. These accounts, documented in historical publications, indicate that the city’s vulnerability to waterlogging was recognised during the nineteenth century itself.
Reclamation of wetlands and destruction of natural drainage channels
Geographically, Guwahati is characterised by a combination of hills, hillocks and alluvial plains. The surrounding hills collect rainwater, some of which percolates into the ground, while the remaining runoff flows towards the plains through natural streams and rivulets. The wetlands and other water bodies historically acted as natural reservoirs, collecting runoff before it reached the primary river system. However, decades of urban expansion have significantly altered this natural arrangement.
According to Bijoy Krishna Chetia, a geologist based in Guwahati, rapid urbanisation has simultaneously contributed to the destruction of hills, reclamation of wetlands and obstruction of natural runoff channels, directly aggravating artificial flooding in the plains. He has also raised concerns about the construction of concrete drains without adequate scientific assessment. Instead of facilitating the natural discharge of rainwater, several such drainage structures have contributed to severe waterlogging.
Referring to a recent Geological Survey of India (GSI) survey, Chetia emphasised that water management must be based on the geographical position and geological structure of a particular area. He explained that Guwahati’s hills and hillocks collect rainwater during the monsoon. While a portion of this water enters the ground, the remainder flows towards the plains through natural rivulets. The water reaching the plains is subsequently collected by natural wetlands and transported through designated drainage passages into the main river system.
Chetia pointed out that natural streams and water springs are still visible in certain hills of Guwahati, including the Fatashil hills. Their continued existence raises questions about the disappearance or obstruction of many other natural streams, springs and drainage channels that once connected the surrounding hills with the city’s wetlands and rivers.
Historical accounts also document how the reclamation of water bodies began during the early stages of Guwahati’s urban development. In his book Itihashor Saa-Pohorat Puroni Guwahati (Old Guwahati in the Light and Shadow of History), Kumudeshwar Hazarika recorded that some of the earliest urban development activities involved filling up large ditches in the central parts of the city. One such ditch extended from the eastern side of the Bharalu towards Keyapatty, a locality in present-day Fancy Bazar.
Hazarika noted that the ditch was believed by many to have served as a defensive trench, known as a gorh khawoi, associated with an embankment along the Brahmaputra. He also documented the existence of another ditch in the areas where Mahendra Mohan Choudhury Hospital and the Mission Compound have been built. The northern and southern banks of Dighalipukhuri, which formed parts of the Chala Beel, were subsequently filled to facilitate habitation. Several other ponds were also reclaimed, while a few were renovated. These historical changes gradually reduced the city’s natural capacity to retain and discharge rainwater.
Railway line and urban expansion altered Guwahati’s drainage pattern
Residents who have witnessed Guwahati’s transformation over several decades have also linked the city’s worsening flood situation to the obstruction of natural drainage channels during infrastructure development. Mrinal Gohain, an NGO professional and a resident of the Kharghuli area who is associated with social development initiatives, believes that Guwahati’s geographical history must be understood to assess the present crisis.
He observed that the area now occupied by the metropolitan city may once have formed part of a much wider riverine landscape connected to the Brahmaputra. According to Gohain, the present-day Kharghuli and Sarania hills may have once existed as riverine islands, while a channel of the Brahmaputra possibly flowed through areas now occupied by the city. He also recalled that Guwahati was historically inhabited by communities including Karbis, Bodos, Rabhas, Kaibartas and Kochs, with tribal communities playing an important role in establishing the city’s early markets.
Gohain said long-time residents often associate the beginning of worsening urban flooding with the relocation of Assam’s capital from Shillong to Dispur. Recalling his own experience around 1980, he said he had witnessed chest-deep water between Silpukhuri and Goswami Service while travelling from Ulubari to visit his maternal uncle. Waterlogging was also visible in front of the Chandmari Flood Control Office at the time.
He pointed out that settlements had already begun emerging on hills such as Navagraha and Narakasur, also known as Karnachal, where forest cover was gradually being removed. However, residential development was still relatively less intensive, with individual houses retaining courtyards and gardens.
Gohain also recalled accounts suggesting that the railway line passing through Guwahati disrupted natural drainage pathways. He believes that runoff from the Noonmati basin may historically have drained through the corridor now occupied by the railway line. The construction of railway infrastructure, followed by residential and government buildings in areas such as Silpukhuri, gradually obstructed these natural waterways.
According to him, the construction of houses and government establishments systematically narrowed or blocked drainage channels, including those south of the railway line. He argued that a modern city was developed over low-lying terrain rich in wetlands and natural water bodies without adequate scientific planning, leaving residents to face the consequences today.
Population growth and the transformation of Guwahati
The expansion of Guwahati’s population has been another major factor behind the growing pressure on its natural drainage infrastructure. Renowned Assamese writer Rajanikanta Bordoloi (1867–1940), in his autobiographical work Atmajivani Charit, described his birthplace, Kukurmuta, as a small village located near the southeastern boundary of Guwahati town.
He recalled that the village had two large wetlands on either side, with agricultural fields towards the east and a small settlement near Silpukhuri. The village had only eight households during his childhood, although the surrounding landscape was characterised by hills and wetlands. Kukurmuta, now part of the Hedayetpur locality west of Silpukhuri, provides an indication of how sparsely populated parts of the city were during the late 19th century.
Historical population figures also demonstrate the scale of Guwahati’s subsequent expansion. The estimated population of Guwahati was around 6,000 in 1831. By 1871–72, it had increased to 11,429. In 1891, the combined population of Guwahati and North Guwahati stood at 10,817. North Guwahati was excluded from Guwahati Municipality in 1895.
According to figures documented by Dr Bhupendra Raychoudhury in Yug Sandhikhyanor Guwahati, published by the Assam Publication Board in 2017, Guwahati’s population between 1891 and 1951 was as follows:
- 1891: 8,283
- 1901: 11,661
- 1911: 13,481
- 1921: 16,580
- 1931: 21,797
- 1941: 29,009
- 1951: 43,615
The Greater Guwahati Metropolitan Area now has a population of approximately 2,376,654, with an average population density of around 11,000 people per square kilometre. This represents a dramatic demographic transformation, with the population of Guwahati in 1901 now equivalent to the approximate number of people living within every square kilometre of the present-day metropolitan area.
Capital relocation accelerated urbanisation and wetland reclamation
The relocation of Assam’s capital from Shillong to Dispur in the early 1970s marked a significant phase in Guwahati’s urban expansion. The foundation stone for the temporary capital was laid at Dispur on October 2, 1972, while the Chief Minister’s Office officially began functioning from December 14 that year.
Before the relocation, waterlogging during heavy rainfall was primarily reported in areas north and south of the railway line passing through the city. However, the rapid development that followed the capital’s relocation significantly altered the city’s landscape. Fields, ditches, wetlands, reservoirs and ponds located along Guwahati-Shillong Road and the present-day Radha Govinda Baruah Road, also known as RG Baruah or Zoo Road, were progressively reclaimed for government offices, commercial establishments and residential development. As a result, chronic water stagnation began affecting areas that had previously functioned as natural water retention zones.
Historical accounts suggest that old Guwahati had nearly 40 ponds, although all but one were unsuitable for drinking water. Following the capital’s relocation, government employees increasingly purchased land along major roads, often acquiring agricultural plots from indigenous farmers and sharecroppers, many of whom belonged to tribal communities. The expansion also extended into ditches, wetlands, swamps and hillside slopes. The original account notes that some plots were even occupied forcibly.
Major public infrastructure projects were also established on reclaimed wetlands. These included Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), B Borooah Cancer Institute (BBCI), Guwahati Doordarshan Kendra, Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalakshetra, Public Works Department complexes and several Central Government establishments. Consequently, the geographical vulnerability associated with wetland reclamation spread to several important institutional and residential areas.
Guwahati’s flood problem predates the capital shift
Although the relocation of the capital accelerated urban expansion, historical newspaper records indicate that Guwahati experienced serious waterlogging even before Dispur became the administrative centre of Assam. On August 4, 1968, the front page of Dainik Asam, an Assamese daily, carried a photograph showing a car navigating submerged roads in the Ambari area.
The accompanying report described the deteriorating condition of Guwahati’s roads, open sewers, drains and markets, highlighting how even a slight spell of rainfall could submerge the main highway near Ambari. Another report titled “Arrangements to Pump Out Water” documented the deployment of pumps belonging to the Assam Agriculture Department to remove accumulated rainwater following torrential rainfall.
The records indicate that Ambari, located north of the railway tracks, regularly experienced knee-deep water on roads after rainfall even before the capital was shifted to Dispur. This suggests that while subsequent urbanisation intensified the problem, Guwahati’s vulnerability to waterlogging has a much longer history.
Floods and landslides claim lives as crisis spreads
Apart from disrupting transportation, businesses and daily life, Guwahati’s recurring floods have also resulted in several fatalities. Over the past 25 years, at least 13 people have reportedly died in the city due to flash floods or falling into uncovered drains. When landslide-related deaths are included, the toll rises to nearly 25.
In 2026, five people lost their lives in flood-related incidents. Among them was Payel Nath, a woman who was swept away by swirling stormwater through an open roadside drain in Maligaon. In 2025, Ashok Sharma drowned after falling into an uncovered drain in Jorabat. In 2024, an eight-year-old child, Abhinash Sarkar, was swept into a stormwater drain and died.
Earlier, four people were killed in a landslide in Boragaon in June 2022. In 2014, eight people lost their lives in incidents involving landslides and electrocution in floodwaters. The recurring floods and associated landslides have also devastated homes, livelihoods and properties across an expanding number of localities. Despite the scale of the damage, a permanent solution to the city’s urban flooding remains elusive.
Assam government announces Rs 1,459-crore flood mitigation project
The Assam government has announced several initiatives to address Guwahati’s recurring artificial floods. On May 21, 2026, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced a drainage and flood mitigation project worth Rs 1,459 crore. The proposed project aims to upgrade the city’s drainage infrastructure and improve flood management during periods of heavy rainfall.
Of the total allocation, Rs 500.95 crore has been earmarked for the Bahini Basin, while approximately Rs 958 crore has been allocated for the Bharalu Basin Project. Another major initiative is the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-assisted project for mitigating waterlogging in the Bahini River basin. The project is based on a Detailed Project Report prepared by Dutch consultancy firm Royal HaskoningDHV.
Its objectives include regulating runoff from surrounding hills, restoring natural stream flows and facilitating systematic discharge of rainwater. The project was scheduled to begin on September 1, 2025, and is expected to be completed by February 2033.
Comprehensive Drainage Master Plan targets 2055
The Assam government has also initiated a Comprehensive Drainage Master Plan through the Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA). The plan seeks to address stormwater management and urban flash floods across Guwahati through a Geographic Information System (GIS)-based framework.
Its objectives include updating the city’s 2008 Drainage Master Plan, conducting ground surveys, undertaking hydraulic modelling and incorporating the impact of climate change-induced precipitation anomalies. The initiative also aims to prepare Detailed Project Reports for drainage infrastructure that can remain actionable up to 2055.
The work order was awarded to HaskoningDHV Consulting Private Limited on August 21, 2024, with initial priority given to the Bahini and Bharalu river basins. News reports in February 2026 indicated that the DPR for the Bahini River under the initiative had been completed. DGPS and drone surveys covering Guwahati’s six primary drainage basins were also underway, alongside hydraulic modelling.
The comprehensive master plan was expected to be completed by April 2026. However, the effectiveness of these initiatives will depend on their implementation and whether they address the underlying geographical and environmental causes of urban flooding.
Despite years of announcements under the government’s ‘Mission Flood Free Guwahati’, the city’s flood situation continues to generate concern. Sluice gates, pumping stations, catchment drains and detention ponds have been installed, while periodic desiltation drives have also been undertaken. Nevertheless, rapid population growth, the continued destruction of natural water retention areas and uncoordinated drainage construction have contributed to the persistence of waterlogging.
There are also concerns that by the time the ongoing projects are completed, further urban expansion could create new flood-prone areas unless development is regulated through a comprehensive scientific approach.
Peripheral localities face the same flood crisis
The worsening flood situation is no longer confined to older parts of Guwahati. Newly developed peripheral localities are increasingly experiencing similar problems as metropolitan expansion reaches previously less urbanised areas. Boragaon is among the localities where residents have reported increasingly severe flash floods.
Dipti Kumar Basumatary, a resident of the area, said National Highway 27 and its service roads were submerged in waist-deep water during a recent spell of flooding. The highway effectively turned into a river, bringing vehicular movement to a halt and forcing commercial establishments across the area to shut down. Basumatary attributed the situation to faulty drainage infrastructure and the absence of adequate channels to discharge accumulated rainwater.
Maligaon is another locality where residents have raised concerns about the increasing frequency and intensity of flash floods. Mrinal Bora, a resident of Maligaon Railway Colony and a research scholar at the Delhi School of Economics, recalled that torrential rainfall in 1999 had submerged a Durga Puja pandal near their residential quarters. However, he said the situation had deteriorated considerably after 2020, with even brief spells of rainfall causing water to rush down the Nilachal hills and overwhelm open drains.
Local residents have also expressed concerns that the flyover connecting Boripara and Kamakhya Gate may have aggravated flooding around Maligaon Chariali. According to Bora, Maligaon Chariali did not experience flooding of the present intensity before the flyover was constructed. He also highlighted recurring damage to roads and residential quarters around Maligaon Goal Park due to runoff descending from the surrounding hills.
Bora suggested that controlling the speed of water flowing downhill before it enters stormwater drains, along with mechanically trapping accumulated silt and mud, could help mitigate flooding in the area.
Calls for scientific urban planning
Dilip Bora, a resident of the city’s Panjabari area, a writer and former Indian Police Service officer who arrived in Guwahati in 1970, recalled that urban flooding was not a major concern at the time. He said heavy rainfall occurred even then, but rainwater generally flowed along roadside slopes and eventually entered wetlands. The situation changed as the capital shifted from Shillong and residential settlements spread into previously unpopulated areas.
According to Bora, urban planning authorities permitted construction over swamps, wetlands and natural retention basins, effectively destroying the city’s natural water storage systems. He warned that similar mistakes were now being repeated in North Guwahati. Comparing the city’s uncontrolled expansion to a patient suffering from cancer, Bora said Guwahati was spreading in every direction without a comprehensive urban development plan.
He also pointed out the impact of indiscriminate hill cutting along the Assam-Meghalaya border, which allows large quantities of silt to flow downhill during rainfall. The accumulated silt subsequently blocks rivulets, streams, drains and natural retention wetlands, further aggravating the flood situation.
Bora criticised the administration’s emphasis on constructing flyovers instead of prioritising improvements to roads, drainage systems and essential civic infrastructure. He argued that addressing Guwahati’s flood crisis requires proper planning, strict enforcement of development regulations and coordination among different government departments.
He also called for the protection of remaining water bodies, extensive afforestation in excavated hill areas and a comprehensive zoning framework to regulate the expansion of residential areas, offices and institutions. According to him, constructing concrete drains alone cannot resolve the problem unless their effectiveness in reducing waterlogging is scientifically assessed.
Citizens’ participation crucial for long-term flood management
Beyond infrastructure development, the question of public participation in urban governance has also emerged as an important aspect of Guwahati’s flood management debate. The central issue is whether the state government should continue to shoulder the entire responsibility for formulating and implementing flood mitigation plans or adopt a decentralised mechanism involving residents and local development committees.
Mrinal Gohain believes that flood management cannot remain exclusively within the domain of administrative authorities. He suggested restructuring existing local development committees and providing them with dedicated civic funds and institutional authority. According to Gohain, almost every neighbourhood in Guwahati has a local development committee that could play a more active role in maintaining civic infrastructure.
With adequate financial and administrative support, these committees could enforce anti-littering regulations, supervise routine drain clearance and monitor local civil construction works. He argued that residents who can collectively organise large-scale cultural events such as Bihu and Durga Puja should also be capable of overseeing local drainage maintenance and civic responsibilities.
Gohain emphasised that meaningful communication between the government and citizens is essential for developing a sustainable solution. While individual residents cannot independently resolve a citywide flooding crisis, collective deliberation and coordinated local action could contribute significantly to improving urban governance.
Can Guwahati overcome its artificial flood crisis?
Guwahati’s recurring artificial floods are increasingly exposing the limitations of an urban development model that has expanded across wetlands, low-lying plains and natural drainage corridors. Historical accounts, geological observations and the experiences of long-time residents point towards a combination of environmental degradation, unplanned construction, population growth and inadequate drainage management as major contributors to the crisis.
Although the Assam government has announced several major projects, their long-term effectiveness will depend on whether they address the city’s underlying geographical vulnerabilities rather than focusing exclusively on constructing additional drainage infrastructure. The protection of remaining wetlands, restoration of natural waterways, regulation of hill cutting, scientific land-use planning and coordination between government departments will remain essential components of any sustainable flood mitigation strategy.
Equally important will be the involvement of residents in planning, monitoring and maintaining local civic infrastructure. As artificial flash floods continue to affect an expanding number of localities, the challenge before the Assam government is not merely to pump out accumulated rainwater during the monsoon but to reconsider how Guwahati should develop within its geographical and environmental limitations.
Whether the government can build public trust, introduce decentralised participatory governance and implement a scientifically grounded urban development framework will remain central to determining the city’s future.