Amid rising protests over the construction of a new flyover near Guwahati's Dighalipukhuri, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma clarified that no trees will be felled and the proposed flyover will be shortened.
He arrived at the spot on Tuesday night, accompanied by Public Works Department (PWD) officials.
Speaking to reporters, he assured that the flyover’s length has been reduced, now set to end near Rabindra Bhawan rather than extending to the Reserve Bank as initially planned. This modification, he said, will spare the trees along the Dighalipukhuri area.
Additionally, commuters heading toward Noonmati can now access the flyover from Lamb Road, instead of the earlier entry point near Handique College.
Regarding concerns about relocating trees, CM Sarma stated, "We have informed the Gauhati High Court that we do not intend to cut the trees along the Dighalipukhuri bank. Instead, we had planned to carefully uproot and transplant them near the old Deputy Commissioner’s bungalow using advanced technology."
The Chief Minister also dismissed the objections raised by opposition figures, including Hiren Gohain, for creating “unnecessary controversy” around the project. He further assured that the statue of Lakshminath Bezbarua at Guwahati Club will remain in its current location, dispelling rumors of relocation.
Addressing statements made by Congress leader Debabrata Saikia, he suggested that such criticisms were aimed at disrupting development and causing inconvenience for Guwahati residents.
