With significant swaths of the city, including important residential and commercial districts, submerged, the current period of unrelenting rain has once again brought to light the serious flaws in Dimapur’s municipal infrastructure. At the center of the crisis is a crumbling and overstressed drainage system, plagued by years of neglect, poor upkeep, and widespread encroachment.
Continuous rains over the past few days have led to one of Dimapur’s worst urban floods in recent times. Areas such as Burma Camp, Netaji Colony, River Belt Colony, Super Market, and Half Nagarjan are grappling with flooded roads, submerged homes, and stranded residents.
The Dimapur Municipal Council (DMC) acknowledges that routine desilting is no longer sufficient, calling for a comprehensive overhaul of the city’s drainage masterplan. Drains have been built over or encroached upon, severely impeding water flow. In low-lying areas like Medical Colony, residents face overflowing stormwater mixed with waste. Frustrated citizens are demanding long-term drainage and urban planning solutions, declaring that annual flooding must be treated as a civic emergency.
