On Sunday, after carrying on a four-day blockade of Dinesh Goswami Road, FA Road and BR Phukan Road, residents of the locality, under the leadership of popular Assamese film comedian Mirel Quddus, collected fish from the market and released these into the ``ponds'' created by the potholes. Since then, the Mayor, a Union minister and myriad promises have come knocking on their doorsteps.

The blockade of the roads was launched by the local Annapurna Mahila Sangha. Now, the residents have also roped in film artistes like Quddus and senior citizens from other localities of Guwahati to attract more media attention.The tactic has worked. An embarrassed Mayor Utpala Phukan was among the first callers, coming to Machkhowa to listen to the ``people'swoes''.

However, the residents left her even more red-faced, telling her they were not interested in any promises or announcements. ``We do not want lip-service or promises,'' said Annapurna Mahila Sangha advisor Ruplekha Das. ``We want the roads to be repaired. We are neither asking for a new road or a flyover. Just repair the roads and we will be happy.''

With most of the councillors of the Guwahati Municipal Corporation belonging to the ruling Asom Gana Parisha (AGP), the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was the next to respond, quickly extending support to the agitating Machkhowa residents. The BJP's Guwahati MP and Union Minister of State for Water Resources, Bijoya Chakravarty, spent several hours with them and promised them a better deal under the BJP-led Government at the Centre. He even announced several schemes for improvement of the drainage system in Guwahati, adding that these had been cleared by the BJP Government since taking over last month. The drainage problem itself is much older.

During the recent Durga Puja festivities, things had got worse following stagnation of rain water. After their repeated complaints had gone unheard, the frustrated residents of Machkhowa and Bharalumukh localities had beaten up an engineer of the Guwahati Municipal Corporation.

Now, the Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) has announced a new, Rs 67-crore storm-water drainage scheme for easing the problem of the city. GMDA chief executive officer D.N. Saikia says the amount has been already sanctioned by HUDCO and the scheme would be jointly operated by the PWD, Flood Control Department and the Guwahati Municipal Corporation.