Jorabat Development Threatens Guwahati's Future, Assam CM Warns Amid Flood Crisis

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma issued a stern warning on Friday, stating that unchecked development and extensive hill-cutting activities around Jorabat, particularly near the University of Science and Technology Meghalaya (USTM) campus, are drastically worsening urban flooding in Guwahati. The Chief Minister, speaking in Dispur, revealed that a Supreme Court-appointed empowered committee has submitted a 'devastating report' highlighting the severe environmental risks posed to Assam's capital, with even the Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport now facing threats from increased water runoff. This isn't a new problem; experts and reports have consistently linked environmental degradation, including large-scale deforestation and rampant hill-cutting in the Jorabat hills of Meghalaya, to Guwahati recurring flash floods and waterlogging for years. The loss of tree cover and exposed soil dramatically increases sediment flow, choking vital drainage systems and overwhelming the city's already strained infrastructure. The issue has become a complex inter-state matter, with CM Sarma appealing to the Meghalaya government, led by Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma, for 'sympathetic consideration' and regulation of development, similar to how Meghalaya halted activities in Byrnihat due to pollution concerns. The matter is currently sub-judice and slated for an upcoming hearing in the Supreme Court, where the Assam government plans to present its case based on the empowered committee findings. Without urgent, coordinated action to control hill-cutting and manage runoff, CM Sarma cautioned that Guwahati risks becoming an 'unmanageable city', unable to cope with the sheer volume of water cascading from the denuded hills. This ongoing crisis underscores the critical need for regional environmental governance and sustainable urban planning to protect one of Northeast India's most significant urban centers.