Hour-long rain leads to severe traffic congestion in city

Guwahati: An hour-long spell of rain on Tuesday morning brought Guwahati to a standstill, causing widespread waterlogging and severe traffic congestion across the city.Several key areas were heavily affected, including Beltola, Rukminigaon, Six Mile, Jorabat, Chandmari, Hatigaon, Anil Nagar, and Basisthapur. Officers from the Dispur traffic branch, deployed since early morning, said the congestion, which began shortly after the rain started, persisted throughout the day. To alleviate the gridlock, officers were compelled to divert vehicles from several major intersections. Despite these measures, commuters experienced significant delays.Dispur traffic in-charge (IC) Bipul Das stated that vehicles heading towards Khanapara were rerouted through the Beltola route, while those travelling from Khanapara towards Six Mile were redirected via VIP Road. He clarified that the diversions were implemented solely to minimize traffic congestion on GS Road and were not due to any major incidents.The officer further pointed out that the ongoing construction of the approximately 750-meter flyover, connecting Downtown and Six Mile areas, has significantly exacerbated the traffic situation. "Vehicles, including ambulances, coming from the Khanapara side were stuck for extended periods. This was primarily due to the poor condition of the road, which has deteriorated further due to the construction activity and the recent rainfall," the officer said.Rupam Bhattacharya, a commuter en route to Panbazar, was reportedly stuck in traffic on GS Road for over two hours. "The authorities should have repaired the roads before the rain to prevent such disruptions," he said.Meanwhile, similar traffic congestion was observed at Chandmari, particularly along Maniram Dewan Road, due to the ongoing construction of the flyover connecting Noonmati to Ambari. The situation was further aggravated by inadequate drainage, which failed to effectively channel the stormwater, leading to waterlogging and a slowdown in vehicular movement.