Guwahati spent Rs 802 crore over eight years under the Smart Cities Mission — Rs 327 crore on Brahmaputra riverfront beautification, Rs 260 crore on electric buses, Rs 78 crore on a traffic management system, and Rs 14 crore on developing the Umananda temple island. In April 2026, the city flooded, 50 areas were inundated, and four people died in open drains within 48 hours.
Guwahati entered the Smart Cities Mission in 2017, receiving Rs 802 crore for urban transformation. Priorities included Brahmaputra riverfront beautification (Rs 327 crore), an electric bus fleet (Rs 260 crore), a traffic management system (Rs 78 crore), and an Umananda temple complex (Rs 14 crore). In April 2026, 100mm of rainfall in 24 hours — among the highest April recordings in decades — flooded 50 areas across the city. Four people died within 48 hours: a woman swept into an open drain at Maligaon Chariali, a man whose body was recovered from the Brahmaputra, another found in Bisistha river, and a fourth near Garchuk. The Chief Secretary ordered a magisterial inquiry and called the fatalities 'unacceptable.' The opposition demanded a white paper on how the Rs 802 crore was spent and called for the Housing Minister's dismissal. Guwahati has been receiving approvals for flood-control projects since at least 2009, with officials consistently describing solutions as 'nearly ready' — a characterisation that has persisted for approximately three decades.