Guwahati, May 11 (IANS): Despite the torrential rains causing widespread waterlogging in Assam's Silchar, local BJP MLA Dipayan Chakraborty took the initiative to clear the accumulated garbage in the Longaikhal canal and blamed the "misrule by the previous Congress governments for the woes in the city".

Chakraborty has expressed concerns about the waterlogging problem in Silchar.

The MLA along with representatives of the Indian Red Cross Society embarked on the Longaikhal canal, which is adjacent to the national highway in the city, and an area of about 600 feet of the canal was cleaned for three hours.

The recent torrential rains caused flash floods in Silchar town and adjoining areas.

As various canals and drains of the city were full of waste and garbage, different areas were submerged due to obstruction in water drainage.

Chakraborty told IANS, "Several steps have been taken by the state government to solve this problem. We took a boat ride to clean the Longaikhal canal. The BJP-led government has already taken up several projects and a few projects are in the pipeline."

According to him, Rangirkhal, another important canal of the city received a development project worth Rs 42 crore and the construction work has been running at full pace.

Meanwhile, drains are newly built in other busy places in Silchar.

"However, the waterlogging problem will not be solved quickly because this city was developed in a very unplanned manner due to the Congress government's misrule. Drains and sewers were encroached heavily and common people are suffering today," Chakraborty said.

He appealed to the citizens of the city to come forward to resolve the problem of waterlogging along with the help of government initiatives.

Chakraborty said that the state government has cleaned an area of 600 feet of the Longaikhal canal, which will temporarily solve the waterlogging problem in a vast area of Silchar City.