Flyover construction: Assam govt to review plan to fell century-old trees in Guwahati

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Residents protest in front of Dighalipukhuri pond in Guwahati on October 29, 2024, against the felling of trees for the construction of a flyover connecting Nummati to the Reserve Bank of India. Photo credit: ANI

Amid the ongoing public outcry, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday (October 30, 2024) said the government will reconsider deforestation in Guwahati Dozens of century-old trees were used for the project to build an overpass.

Prominent personalities and residents on Tuesday (October 29, 2024) criticized the BJP-led government’s plan to cut down around 25 trees (some of which are 200 years old) along the banks of Dighalipukhuri tank for the project. Protests continued on Wednesday, with university students, citizens and local leaders gathering in Dhigaliphuli to voice their concerns.

“I would like to assure you that the government is firmly committed to protecting the heritage and environment of our city while advancing infrastructure development. While constructing the flyover from Dhgaluphuli to Nummati, we are sincerely committed to protecting the area’s ancient trees.

The government is constructing a 5.05 km long four-lane flyover, the longest flyover in the city, from Dighalipukhuri to Noonmati at a cost of Rs 852.68 crore. It is planned to be put into operation in 2026.

People took to the streets on Tuesday (October 29, 2024) to protest against the government’s felling of trees on the banks of the iconic pond for the ongoing construction of a flyover.

They then filed a petition before the Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court asking him to take action. suo motu Recognizing this issue is important for the well-being of the environment.

In the evening, hundreds of people, including singers, actors and Cotton University students, held vigils in the area to stop the government from cutting down trees. SFI state secretary Sangita Das said: “After the public protests during the day, we have formed a group called ‘Save Dighalipukhuri’. We will hold a vigil tonight until the high court takes a decision on the PIL.”

Netizens also criticized the government’s decision on social media, emphasizing the importance of these trees as habitat for many resident and migratory birds. Renowned neurosurgeon Navanil Barua said on Facebook: “This is a good sign that people are angry at the government’s stubborn decision to cut down trees. However, if this protest does not translate For votes, nothing will come of it.

“The government may succumb to public pressure or ‘high-profile protests’ in Guwahati, but that will not change its destructive nature,” he added. “Where there are few or no protests, this irrational behavior will continue,” said Mr. Barua, a prominent political commentator.

Bollywood playback singer Papon from Assam expressed his dismay at the loss of heritage, saying: “If we prioritize building the ‘new’ at the expense of the old, it will become a very young country in history. place. Because of my love for trees, I have been hurt over the years when I see century-old trees being cut down to widen roads, etc. he said on Facebook.

Appreciating the public outcry against the government’s move, BJP MP Mrinal Saikia said that when one tree is cut down in rural areas, another one will grow up, but the same will never happen in urban areas.

“I don’t know whether cutting down trees for human development is right or wrong…but I am personally happy that some forward-thinking people have come out to protest against tree cutting in #Dighalipukhuri, #Guwahati, #Assam,” he said at X Post a message.

According to an RTI reply, the Public Works Department, which Mr. Sarma heads, said the authorities had decided to remove trees around the historic Dighalipukhuri without conducting any environmental impact assessment and public hearings. Uprooted.

According to popular legend, Dighalipukhuri was built by King Bhagadatta, who led the Kauravas during the “swayamvar” of his daughter Bhanumati in the Battle of Kurukshetra in the Mahabharata. Historically, the pond was used as a naval shipyard by the Ahom people, especially during the “Battle of Saraigat” on the Brahmaputra River in 1671.

Its access to the Brahmaputra River was eventually closed during the colonial period. The connecting section was further filled in and the Circuit House and later the Gauhati High Court were built on it.

Besides, there are other landmarks like National Museum, District Library, Rabindra Bhawan, Reserve Bank of India, part of Cotton College (the first college in the Northeast), Handique Women’s College (the first women’s college in the Northeast), Nabin Chandra Bordoloi Hall Court and District Court appeared.

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