Trapped in Traffic: How Many Hours Are Guwahatians Losing Daily Due to Rain?

Taaza News | Published on May 23 2025

Guwahati, the gateway to Northeast India, is facing serious traffic congestion during the rainy season. Heavy rain has flooded roads and caused massive traffic jams, affecting the daily lives of thousands of people.

Daily Traffic Delays

Commuters in Guwahati are spending a lot more time on the road. For example, a short 10-minute journey from Dighalpukhuri to Chandmari now takes 30 minutes or more. The 5.5 km stretch from Ganeshguri to Khanapara, which usually takes 15 minutes, can now take up to 40–60 minutes due to traffic jams, especially around Rukminigaon where a flyover is being built.

Some people are even stuck in traffic for over 3 hours in areas like Zoo Road, Nabin Nagar, and Ulubari.

Reasons Behind the Traffic

• Heavy rainfall causing waterlogging
• Slow construction work on flyovers and roads
• Poor traffic management and lack of traffic police presence
• Unplanned construction in nearby hills leading to excess rainwater flooding the city

Impact on Daily Life

The traffic situation is affecting all sections of society:

• Students are late or unable to reach school
• Office-goers face long, tiring commutes
• People are stressed and losing valuable time every day

What Can Be Done?

To improve the situation, authorities need to:

• Fix and upgrade the drainage system
• Speed up road and flyover construction
• Deploy more traffic personnel during rush hours
• Regulate construction activities in nearby hilly areas

Until these steps are taken, people in Guwahati will continue to be trapped in traffic and lose precious time every day due to rain and poor infrastructure.