Guwahati, Sept 1: Even as large parts of Guwahati remained submerged and commuters struggled through waterlogged roads on Tuesday, officials gathered at the Assam Secretariat to map out a “flood-free Guwahati”, identifying seven key intervention points along the Jalukbari-Jorabat National Highway stretch.Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Kaushik Rai chaired a meeting under Mission Flood-Free Guwahati with professors from IIT Guwahati and officials of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), as the city reeled under another spell of severe waterlogging following heavy showers on Monday night. The meeting, held in the presence of senior officials from the Department of Housing and Urban Affairs (DoHUA), Kamrup Metropolitan district administration and Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA), focused on research undertaken so far, mitigation measures already initiated and proposed interventions to address the persistent problem. Minister Rai chairing the meeting, on Tuesday. (Photo: AT Special Arrangement).Seven key intervention points were identified along the National Highway stretch from Jalukbari to Jorabat, with specific mitigation measures proposed for each location. Detailed discussions were held on the interventions required at the identified locations, following which Rai reviewed the progress of the proposed measures and decided to hold another round of discussions with IIT Guwahati to obtain a feasibility report. The assessment is expected to facilitate appropriate action and ensure that technically sound and effective measures are undertaken at the identified locations. Responsibility for implementing the proposed interventions was subsequently assigned to the concerned departments and agencies. Outside the meeting rooms, however, the familiar monsoon ordeal continued.Several low-lying and flood-prone areas were inundated from early morning, disrupting traffic and slowing movement across the city. Guwahati Club, Hatigaon, Six Mile, Rukminigaon, Downtown, Wireless, Panjabari, Jorabat and Zoo Road witnessed significant waterlogging, with vehicles struggling to negotiate flooded stretches.Traffic was also disrupted near Barowari in Uzanbazar after a huge tree, uprooted amid the rain, fell onto the road. An SDRF personnel uses a chainsaw to clear a fallen tree. (Photo:Kangkan Bordoloi)Earlier in July, Rai had directed all line departments to undertake regular drain-cleaning and desilting activities during a review meeting of Mission Flood-Free Guwahati. Tuesday's scenes, however, laid bare the gap between the promise of a “Flood-Free Guwahati” and the reality confronting commuters on its streets.