Guwahati, 30 Oct: Amidst ongoing public outcry, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday said his government will reconsider its plans to fell dozens of century-old trees in Guwahati to make way for a flyover.
On Tuesday, prominent personalities and city dwellers criticised the BJP-led government for planning to cut down around 25 trees, some as old as 200 years along the banks of Dighalipukhuri tank for the project.
The protests continued on Wednesday, with college students, citizens, and local leaders gathering at Dighalipukhuri to voice their concerns.
“I want to assure you that the government is deeply committed to preserving our city’s heritage and environment while advancing infrastructure. In constructing the flyovers from Dighalupukhuri to Noonmati, we are sincerely working to protect the old trees in the area. I urge all stakeholders to allow the Public Works Department a few days to explore an alternative proposal and assess its feasibility,” Sarma said in a post on X.
The government is constructing a four-lane 5.05 km-long flyover, the longest in the city, from Dighalipukhuri to Noonmati at a cost of Rs 852.68 crore. It is scheduled to be operational by 2026.
People hit the streets and protested the government’s plan to cut the trees on the banks of the iconic pond for the ongoing construction of the flyover. They had a scuffle with police, which prevented them from moving along the road surrounding the pond.
Later in the day, the Chief Minister’s Office said that Chief Secretary Ravi Kota chaired a meeting with senior officials of PWD (Roads) to discuss possible alternatives for the upcoming flyover in order to avoid West and East Dighalipukhuri roads.
“Instructions have been issued to prepare a draft traffic flow to ensure the flyover ends on GNB road itself or any other alternative road to avoid cutting of heritage trees in Dighalipukhuri area. The PWD team will submit their report within a week with proposed modalities,” it said in a post on X.
Protesters had submitted a petition to the Chief Justice of Gauhati High Court on Tuesday and requested him to take suo motu cognisance of the matter, which is very important for the welfare of the environment.
At night, hundreds of people, including singers, actors and students of Cotton University, held a vigil in the area to prevent the administration from cutting the trees.
“Following the public protest during the day, we formed a group called ‘Save Dighalipukhuri’. We will hold this night vigil till the high court takes a decision on the PIL,” SFI state secretary Sangita Das said.
Netizens also took to social media to criticise the government’s decision, highlighting the trees’ importance as habitats for migratory birds.
“It’s a good sign that there is a lot of anger among people against the government’s stubborn decision to cut down trees. However, if this protest does not translate into votes, it will yield no results,” eminent neurosurgeon Navanil Barua said on Facebook.
The government may yield to public pressure or “high profile protests” in Guwahati, but it will not change its destructive character, he claimed.
“Where there is little or no protest, such irrational acts will continue,” said Barua, also a renowned political commentator.
Bollywood playback singer Papon, who hails from Assam, expressed his dismay over the loss of heritage, saying, “If we prioritise building the ‘new’ at the expense of the old, then it will become a historically very young place. Beautiful cities worldwide are celebrated for their greenery and historic architecture, yet here we are losing trees that are over 150 years old in the name of ‘development’.”
“Because of my love for trees, I have been constantly hurt for years when I see century old trees being brought down to widen roads etc. In the past, I have gone to ask the law, only to be told that, apparently development comes before environment!” he said on Facebook.
BJP MLA Mrinal Saikia applauded the public outcry against the government’s move and said when a tree is cut in a rural area, another grows, but the same never happens in urban areas.
“I don’t know whether it is right or wrong to cut trees for the sake of human development… But personally I am happy that some foresighted people are coming out to protest against cutting down of trees in #Dighalipukhuri, #Guwahati, #Assam,” he posted on X.
According to an RTI reply, the Public Works Department, which is looked after by Sarma, stated that the authorities have decided to go ahead with uprooting the trees surrounding the historic Dighalipukhuri without carrying out any environmental impact assessment and public hearing.
As per popular legend, the Dighalipukhuri was constructed by King Bhagadatta, who led the Kauravas in the Battle of Kurukshetra in the Mahabharata, during the ‘swayamvar’ of his daughter Bhanumati.
Historically, the pond was used by the Ahoms as a naval dockyard, especially during the 1671 ‘Battle of Saraighat’ on Brahmaputra.
Its access to Brahmaputra was eventually closed during colonial times. The connecting portion was further filled, on which the Circuit House was built and later the Gauhati High Court came up. (PTI)