Guwahati, Oct 12: From discarded plastic bags and bottles to heaps of paper and thermocol, garbage has become a common sight along stretches of the Morabharalu in Guwahati.
Flowing from Fatasil towards the area near the Inter-State Bus Terminus (ISBT) in Betkuchi, the river is littered with waste at several points, raising concerns over its capacity to carry the city’s stormwater.
At Fatasil, Bhaskar Nagar, Barsapara, Ganeshpara and Katabari, heaps of waste can be seen in the river and along its banks. Several stretches are also choked with silt and accumulated garbage, further constricting the waterway.
For a city that frequently grapples with artificial flooding during the monsoon, the condition of the Morabharalu has become a growing concern.
Residents fear that a waterway meant to help drain rainwater is gradually losing its carrying capacity.
Dipankar Goswami, a concerned citizen, alleged that the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) often resorts to putting up green nets to conceal the river’s condition instead of ensuring proper cleaning and desilting.
“The civic body puts up the nets ahead of major sporting events at the Barsapara Stadium, keeping the accumulated garbage out of public view. Voluntary organisation Bharalu Bachao Abhijan has repeatedly demanded the cleaning of Morabharalu, but the authorities have yet to take adequate steps to improve its condition,” Goswami says.
Another resident, Dhananjay Sarma, called for the river to be cleaned and desilted thoroughly at the earliest.
“The problem extends beyond the Morabharalu to the Bharalu and Bahini rivers, which also serve as important drainage channels for the city,” he adds.
Residents have repeatedly called for all three rivers to be cleaned and desilted, but concerns persist over the lack of sustained improvement.
“How can rainwater flow freely through the Bharalu, Morabharalu and Bahini rivers when they remain clogged with waste and choked at several points?” asks Suman Das, another resident.
Residents say the recurring accumulation of waste raises questions about the effectiveness and continuity of the cleaning measures undertaken by the authorities, particularly as Guwahati faces repeated spells of artificial flooding during the monsoon.
The GMC, however, said the three rivers are desilted periodically and floating waste is removed. It attributed the recurring problem to residents continuing to dump garbage into the waterways.
“The Bharalu, Bahini and Morabharalu rivers are desilted periodically, and waste floating in the water is removed. However, some residents of Guwahati continue to dump all kinds of waste and materials into the rivers, leading to such conditions. Contractors carry out the cleaning work, but within two days of desilting, the rivers return to their previous state,” a GMC staff member said, requesting anonymity.
The contrasting accounts highlight the challenge of keeping the city’s waterways clear. While the civic body maintains that cleaning and desilting are carried out periodically, residents argue that these measures have not brought about lasting improvements.