Amid rising protests from opposition leaders and prominent citizens over the felling of trees for a new flyover in Guwahati's Dighalipukhuri, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma visited the site on Tuesday night and assured that the trees will not be cut.
Accompanied by Public Works Department (PWD) officials, CM Sarma surveyed the area, which has become the focal point of public dissent in recent days.
The state government has proposed constructing a flyover from Dighalipukhuri to Noonmati, a project that would require cutting down several 200-year-old trees in the Dighalipukhuri area. Addressing concerns, Sarma assured the public that the government is committed to preserving Guwahati's heritage while pushing for infrastructure development.
“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,” he added.
However, the project has drawn sharp criticism. The All Assam Students Union (AASU), led by Samujjal Bhattacharya, has voiced strong opposition to the tree-cutting plans. "We oppose the government's decision to uproot trees for flyover construction in Guwahati. Preserving the city's heritage and maintaining ecological balance is of utmost importance," Bhattacharya stated, urging the Chief Minister to reconsider the project.
Debabrata Saikia, Leader of the Opposition in the Assam Assembly, has also raised objections, accusing the state government of failing to conduct an environmental impact study before greenlighting the flyover. "I have moved the Gauhati High Court against the government’s initiative, as no study has been done to assess the environmental impact of cutting down these trees," Saikia said.
The controversy intensified after the PWD marked several trees for removal as part of the project’s redesign, which now incorporates the Tayabullah Road. Many of the trees along Tayabullah Road and in front of Handique Girls' College—some reportedly over 200 years old—were marked with yellow crosses, signaling their impending removal.
This move has sparked widespread public outcry, with residents fearing it could compromise the historical and aesthetic significance of Dighalipukhuri.