Feb. 6: Gauhati High Court today directed Dispur and four other government agencies to submit an action-taken report by March 13 regarding complaints raised in a public interest litigation (PIL) about the haphazard increase in the level of city roads, leading to waterlogging.

A division bench of the court, comprising Chief Justice A.K. Goel and Justice Utpalendu Bikas Saha, issued the directive during the hearing of a PIL, which was filed by a city resident, Gitima Bhuyan, and nine others in November last year, alleging failure of government agencies to address public issues.

Counsel for the petitioners Kaberi Medhi Talukdar said the high court asked the government lawyer to submit details about the steps taken so far by the expert committee, constituted by Dispur recently, to address the issues plaguing the residents.

“The government had earlier informed the court that a seven-member expert committee has been set up to work out an action plan and monitor the situation and a notification was also issued in this regard. The court today asked the government to submit details of the meetings of the committee held so far regarding the civic issues, including the concerns raised in the PIL by March 12,” Talukdar said.

The four other government agencies are Guwahati Municipal Corporation, Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority, public works department and the water resources department.

Dispur had constituted the committee in December after an order by the high court.

It was headed by additional chief secretary (works) and comprised director of IIT Guwahati, the principal of Assam Engineering College, Guwahati, public works department chief engineer (roads), Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority chief executive officer, Guwahati Municipal Corporation commissioner, water resources department chief engineer and town and country planning department chief engineer.

The committee held its first meeting on December 9 last year to discuss the situation.

The committee, according to government sources, was asked by the government to work out plans regarding civic issues in the city, monitor the situation and submit its report to the court from time to time.

The PIL (44/2011), filed before the court on November 14 by the group of citizens, sought the court’s intervention in the problems being faced by the residents because of raising the height of the city roads.

They also alleged that civic bodies had failed to address the issues of uncovered and clogged drains, despite repeated pleas to the civic authorities and the government departments.

“The main objection of the petitioners was pertaining to raising the level of the roads and streets and also relaying of roads. Since there is no guideline about height of the roads, the agencies engaged in the repair and construction raised the height and as a result rainwater flows back to the adjoining houses. I am a resident of Zoo Road and have also been facing the problem of waterlogging for years,” Talukdar said.