Residents of Guwahati's Bharalumukh locality were out on the streets early on Thursday morning to protest the authorities' decision to fell trees in the area. This comes in the wake of the Assam government backtracking after facing resistance over cutting down trees at Dighalipukhuri.
According to locals, about six days ago, authorities marked the trees to be chopped down for a flyover project near a railway crossing at Bharalumukh. Some of the trees marked for felling are 100 to 200 years old, they said.
Local residents of all age groups came out in numbers and held placards to protest the decision of the authorities. "We don't want flyovers. Don't cut down the trees," one of the protestors said.
Notably, the state government has commissioned the flyover connecting Sluice Gate on RK Choudhury Road to the new road built along the Brahmaputra River. The project is coming up at an estimated cost of Rs 70 crore.
Earlier, residents of Dighalipukhuri in Guwahati protested the felling of years-old trees for the proposed flyover in the area. Celebrities also chimed in raising questions over the government's decision and the environmental impacts.
This led to Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma urging the people to remain calm as an alternative to it is discussed. Accordingly, a meeting with senior Public Works Department (PWD) officials chaired by Chief Secretary of Assam, Ravi Kota was held on Wednesday.
A team of the PWD (Roads) department has been asked to look into the matter and submit a report on it within a week with the proposed modalities.
During the meeting, instructions were 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."
