Guwahati: Leader of the Opposition Debabrata Saikia has written to the Assam Human Rights Commission, seeking suo motu cognisance of severe waterlogging in Guwahati following heavy overnight rain and alleging systemic governance failures.

In a letter addressed to AHRC chairperson Arup Kumar Goswami, Saikia described the situation as a "continuing and systemic human rights violation", impacting residents' rights to life, livelihood, dignity and education.

At least one person died and normal life was disrupted across the city on Monday as torrential rain submerged roads, inundated homes and paralysed traffic. The Assam State Disaster Management Authority confirmed that a woman, identified as Payal Nath, died after falling into a drain at Maligaon Chariali near the Northeast Frontier Railway headquarters.

Saikia said the recurring flooding cannot be treated as a natural inevitability, but rather as a preventable hazard arising from administrative lapses. He cited instances of people being swept into open drains, deaths linked to exposed infrastructure, electrocution in waterlogged areas and widespread storm damage.

He also flagged the broader socio-economic impact, noting that repeated school closures have disrupted education, while daily wage earners and small businesses have suffered significant losses.

Referring to the Silsako eviction drive, Saikia said around 1,200 houses had been demolished in the name of flood mitigation, yet flooding continues unabated. He further alleged irregularities in public spending, claiming that RTI findings pointed to drainage equipment and "super sucker" machines being procured at inflated rates.

The Opposition leader urged the Commission to seek compliance reports on orders issued by the Gauhati High Court between 2022 and 2024, conduct a comprehensive inquiry into drainage failures, and fix accountability of officials. He also called for an independent audit of flood-related expenditure and recommended criminal or vigilance action where necessary.