Guwahati, Sept 2: A few hours of light to moderate rain were enough to bring large parts of Guwahati to a standstill on Tuesday with waterlogging reported across several areas and traffic movement severely affected during peak hours. From Hatigaon and Panjabari to RG Baruah Road, Boragaon, Rajgarh and Gandhibasti, roads were inundated, leaving commuters stranded, forcing them to wade through waterlogged streets. The situation once again raised questions over the city’s drainage system and its ability to cope even with moderate rainfall. According to data released by the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), based on rainfall bulletins from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and Water Resources Department (WRD) stations, the rainfall recorded across Guwahati remained within the moderate category of 15.6 mm to 64.4 mm. And one can’t blame Meghalaya either this time again. The Umtrewdam station of adjacent Ri Bhoi district recorded only 2.5 mm rainfall in the past 24 hours. The highest rainfall in the city was recorded at the Old Chief Engineer’s Office at Chandmari at 58.4 mm, followed by North Guwahati College at 54.5 mm and Gauhati University at 47 mm. Down Town University recorded 28 mm, while the Guwahati City Automatic Weather Station (AWS) recorded 31 mm. However, despite rainfall remaining below the “heavy category” at the monitoring stations, several parts of the city were quickly submerged. Major roads, which see heavy traffic every morning, were particularly affected, causing long traffic snarls and delays for office-goers and students. For many commuters, the problem was not just the traffic but the risk posed by the waterlogged roads. Scenes of drivers pushing vehicles which broke down in the middle of gushing waters were witnessed in many areas. Speaking to The Assam Tribune, Rupak Sarma, a two-wheeler commuter in Rajgarh, said, “The water level rose so rapidly that my bike stalled. I had to push it for almost a kilometre through knee-deep water. It is frustrating that just a few hours of rain can bring the city to a standstill. We have to risk our safety every time.” Another commuter, Apurba Bora, who was travelling along RG Baruah Road, said he was stuck in traffic for nearly an hour. “I was stuck on RG Baruah Road for an hour for a distance that normally takes about 15 minutes. The traffic was bumper-to-bumper and people were struggling to move. It feels like the drainage system has no capacity to handle even moderate rainfall,” Bora said. Tuesday’s waterlogging was yet another reminder of Guwahati’s wider civic infrastructure problems. Apart from the city’s drainage woes, potholes, damaged road surfaces and stretches of broken roads become particularly dangerous when submerged, making it difficult for motorists to spot craters and uneven surfaces. For commuters, the combination of stagnant water and poor road conditions poses a serious safety risk, raising questions over the city’s preparedness to deal with even moderate rainfall.