"Guwahati Floods: City Paralyzed, More Rain Looms."

"Guwahati Floods: City Paralyzed, More Rain Looms."

Assam Schools Shut, Traffic Chaos, and More: Flooded Guwahati Grinds to a Halt, IMD Warns of More Rain Ahead.
Guwahati, Assam, May 21, 2025 — A night of relentless rainfall on May 20, 2025, transformed Guwahati, Assam’s bustling capital, into a waterlogged labyrinth, bringing life to a standstill. Roads turned into rivers, homes were inundated, and the city’s infrastructure buckled under the deluge.

As residents waded through knee-deep and, in some areas, chest-high water, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a stark warning: more heavy rain is on the way, threatening to exacerbate an already dire situation. With schools shuttered, vehicles stranded, and power outages plaguing the so-called “smart city,” Guwahati’s perennial flooding problem has once again exposed its vulnerabilities, prompting renewed scrutiny of the state’s preparedness and long-term solutions.

A City Submerged: The Flood’s Immediate Impact

The downpour, which began late on May 19 and continued into the early hours of May 20, dumped 112.5 mm of rain on Guwahati, according to the IMD’s Guwahati AWS station. Major thoroughfares and residential areas were submerged, with waterlogging reported across Zoo Road, Nabin Nagar, Hatigaon, Ganeshguri, Gita Nagar, Maligaon, Hedayetpur, Guwahati Club, Ulubari, Lachit Nagar, Chandmari, Panjabari, GS Road Jorabat, Tarun Nagar, Jatia, Jyotikuchi, Ghoramara, VIP Road, Rukmini Gaon, Survey, and Chatribari. In some low-lying areas, water levels reached chest height, forcing residents to navigate treacherous conditions to reach safety or salvage belongings.

Visuals shared by news agencies captured the chaos: commuters wading through knee-deep water in Rukmini Gaon and Downtown areas, vehicles half-submerged, and schoolchildren stranded as buses failed to operate. The city’s drainage system, long criticized for its inadequacy, was overwhelmed, leading to massive traffic jams that paralyzed movement across nearly all localities. Ambulances, critical for emergencies, were among the vehicles stuck, highlighting the severity of the crisis.

Homes in Guwahati, touted as a “smart city,” were not spared. Hundreds of households reported water accumulation, with furniture, electronics, and personal belongings damaged. Power cuts compounded the misery, leaving many areas in darkness as electrical systems faltered under the strain of flooding. For a city aspiring to modern urban standards, the scenes of inundation and disruption painted a starkly different picture.

Schools Shut, Exams Disrupted

The flooding forced educational institutions to take drastic measures. Many schools, particularly those conducting examinations, canceled classes on the morning of May 20 as flooded roads rendered school buses inoperable. Parents and students faced harrowing journeys, with some schools in low-lying areas like Chandmari and Rukmini Gaon reporting water entering classrooms. A poignant image from PTI showed workers shifting rice meant for mid-day meals to safer locations in a waterlogged school, underscoring the disruption to education.

The closure of schools was not just a logistical necessity but a safety imperative. With roads impassable and the IMD forecasting more rain, authorities prioritized student safety, though the sudden cancellations left many families scrambling. For students preparing for crucial exams, the disruption added stress and uncertainty, with no immediate clarity on rescheduling.

Traffic Paralysis and Commuter Woes

Guwahati’s roads, already strained by ongoing infrastructure projects like flyover construction in Chandmari and Six Mile, became choke points as waterlogging brought traffic to a standstill. The Assam Tribune reported heavy congestion in Six Mile and Rukmini Gaon, where vehicles were stranded for hours. GS Road, a major arterial route, was among the worst hit, with waterlogging at Jorabat causing delays that rippled across the city.

Commuters faced nightmarish conditions. Office-goers, unable to rely on public transport, waded through flooded streets or abandoned travel altogether. Social media posts on X captured the frustration, with one user lamenting the “chaotic situation” and calling the city’s drainage system a “failure.” The combination of heavy rain, poor drainage, and ongoing construction exacerbated the crisis, turning routine commutes into hours-long ordeals.

IMD’s Grim Forecast: More Rain on the Horizon

The IMD’s weather bulletin painted a sobering picture for Assam. The agency recorded 112.5 mm of rainfall in Guwahati on May 20, a significant deluge that surpassed the 100 mm milestone. More alarmingly, the IMD forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall across Assam for the next two to three days, with western and southern parts potentially receiving up to 200 mm. The Regional Meteorological Centre in Guwahati warned of thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds up to 50-60 kmph, raising concerns about further flooding, tree falls, and landslides in hilly areas.

The IMD attributed the intense rainfall to a cyclonic circulation over the Bay of Bengal and moisture incursion, conditions that also threaten neighboring states like Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, and Tripura. For Guwahati, already grappling with its bowl-shaped geography and inadequate drainage, the forecast signaled a potential escalation of the crisis. Authorities have placed emergency teams on standby, urging residents in low-lying and hillside areas to remain vigilant and avoid unnecessary travel.

Government Response: Action Amid Controversy

Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Jayanta Malla Baruah took to the streets on a two-wheeler to assess the flooding, a move praised by some as proactive. Accompanied by Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) Mayor Mrigen Sarania, Baruah inspected areas like Anil Nagar, Rukminigaon, Juripar, and Hatigaon, where desiltation work is ongoing to mitigate flooding. He acknowledged the challenge posed by rainwater flowing from the Meghalaya hills, noting that existing sluice gates were insufficient to handle the volume. “We’re trying to pump out floodwaters from residential areas, but it’s not very effective as of now,” Baruah admitted, highlighting the scale of the problem.

Baruah echoed Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s controversial claim that the University of Science and Technology Meghalaya (USTM), located in Meghalaya’s Ri-Bhoi district near Guwahati, was exacerbating the flooding. Sarma has repeatedly accused USTM of waging a “flood jihad” by engaging in hill-cutting and deforestation for campus expansion, alleging that this causes excess runoff into Guwahati. The term “flood jihad,” first used by Sarma in August 2024, has sparked significant controversy, with critics like Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi dismissing it as “nonsense” and an attempt to deflect from governance failures.

USTM, owned by Mahbubul Hoque, has denied these allegations, stating that its construction activities have all necessary permissions from the Meghalaya government and are guided by expert consultants. The university argues that its campus contributes only a “minuscule portion” to Guwahati’s flooding, emphasizing that the city’s broader drainage issues are the primary cause. Despite this, Sarma’s rhetoric has persisted, with the Assam government planning to approach the National Green Tribunal (NGT) to address USTM’s alleged role.

Gauhati High Court’s Prior Warnings

The flooding crisis has reignited criticism of the state government’s handling of Guwahati’s perennial waterlogging problem. In August 2024, the Gauhati High Court sharply rebuked the government for its inaction, stating that it was “not serious” about addressing the issue. The court demanded a comprehensive plan to mitigate flooding and imposed a Rs 1,000 fine on four government departments for failing to respond to notices. This judicial intervention followed years of public frustration, with the court emphasizing that the time had come for permanent solutions.

The government’s response has included short-term measures like desiltation and water pumping, but long-term infrastructure upgrades remain elusive. In October 2024, Sarma announced a Rs 200 crore investment to combat flash floods, focusing on resilient infrastructure and monitoring illegal constructions using satellite imagery. However, residents and observers argue that these measures are reactive and insufficient, given the city’s recurring flood woes.

The Role of Meghalaya’s Rain and Infrastructure Challenges

Guwahati’s bowl-shaped geography, combined with its proximity to the Meghalaya hills, makes it particularly vulnerable to flooding. Minister Baruah and CM Sarma have repeatedly pointed to rainwater runoff from Meghalaya as a significant factor. Areas like Rukminigaon, Juripar, and Beltola Bazar have been inundated by water flowing from hills near Pilingkata, Maikuli, and Koinadhora. Efforts to manage this runoff, such as desiltation in the Khanapara region, are ongoing, but progress is slow.

The Assam-Meghalaya joint committee, formed in September 2024 to investigate USTM’s alleged role, reflects the cross-border complexity of the issue. Sarma’s claim that former CM Tarun Gogoi also identified Jorabat’s runoff as a cause of “artificial floods” adds historical context, but it has done little to quell public frustration over the lack of tangible solutions.

Infrastructure challenges extend beyond natural factors. The city’s drainage system, riddled with encroachments and poor maintenance, has been a long-standing issue. Ongoing construction projects, including flyovers and the Guwahati-North Guwahati bridge, have disrupted drainage channels, worsening waterlogging. A robotic survey of transmission pipes, recommended by IIT Guwahati, revealed welding degradation and leakages, further complicating water management efforts.

Community Resilience and Calls for Action

Despite the chaos, Guwahati’s residents have shown resilience. GMC task force workers have been deployed across the city to clear drains and pump out water, though their efforts have been hampered by the sheer volume of rainfall. UNICEF’s initiatives, launched earlier in 2025, have provided mobile water treatment units to flood-prone areas, offering some relief to communities facing water contamination.

On X, residents expressed both frustration and hope. One user praised Minister Baruah’s hands-on approach, noting his inspection of flooded areas on a two-wheeler. Others, however, criticized the government’s failure to address the root causes, with one post calling the drainage system a “failure” and construction projects an aggravation.

The Gauhati High Court’s 2024 directive for a permanent flood mitigation plan looms large. With the IMD warning of up to 200 mm of additional rainfall, the pressure is on the Assam government to move beyond temporary fixes. Sarma’s Rs 200 crore pledge and the formation of 21 monitoring committees under the DDMA Act are steps in the right direction, but their effectiveness remains to be seen.

Looking Ahead: A City on Edge

As Guwahati braces for more rain, the immediate focus is on emergency response. Authorities have urged residents to follow weather updates, avoid flooded areas, and report hazards like fallen trees or power lines. The IMD’s forecast of heavy rainfall across Assam, Meghalaya, and neighboring states underscores the need for regional coordination, a point Sarma has emphasized in calling for collaboration with Meghalaya.

For Guwahati’s residents, the flooding is a stark reminder of the city’s vulnerabilities. The government’s promises of resilient infrastructure and the joint committee’s investigation into USTM’s role may offer hope, but the immediate reality is one of disruption and distress. As the city navigates this crisis, the call for sustainable, long-term solutions grows louder, echoing the Gauhati High Court’s demand for action.