Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma assured the citizens of Guwahati that one of the government’s priorities is to protect the greenery along the construction of the 6-km-long flyover and that it is committed to preserving the city’s heritage and environment.
Sarma stated in X, “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 flyover from Dighalipukhuri 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.”
There were protests by Guwahatians with the proposal of 21 falling trees. The group under the banner of “Concerned Citizens of Guwahati”, submitted a letter to the Prime Minister’s Office, urging intervention in what they described as a critical environmental issue.
The letter emphasised that cutting down the trees would deprive the area of its title as the “lungs of Guwahati” and diminish its scenic charm. Additionally, they petitioned the Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court, urging him to consider a suo motu Public Interest Litigation.
The petition requested the Court’s intervention to halt the government’s proposed plans that would strip Dighalipukhuri of its greenery.The protestors argued that the Dighalipukhuri is one of the last remaining green lungs of the city and that the feeling of the trees not only will affect the city’s biodiversity but also affect several heritage structures located in and around the area.After the citizens’ protest on Tuesday, members of the Cotton College Students Union also staged a protest opposing the government’s move to construct the flyover. The students held a sit-in protest in Dighalipukhuri throughout the night on Tuesday.
