Himadri Kalita
The Brahmaputra Riverfront Development is a project taken up by Guwahati Smart City Development Agency Limited (GSCDAL). The project is expected to generate employment as well as to provide a source of engagement and activity in the city.
The riverfront development project will stretch from new DC Bungalow to Kacharighat which will cover 1,200 metres.
The riverfront will include park, sitting areas, refreshment points, places where cultural programs could be hold and many more.
The huge project has been taken up in cooperation with Assam Tourism Development Corporation Ltd. (ATDC), Inland Water Transport (IWT), District Administration, District Police, Fisheries Department, Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) departments.
The ongoing project of riverfront beautification attempts to showcase resources of Assam to the world like Sabarmati Riverfront in Ahmedabad.
As the state is witnessing lots of tourist from outside Assam and country, Guwahati is attempting to make it beautiful and convenient for the tourists as well as for the citizens of the city.
Speaking on the benefits that will be utilized after the completion of the project, GSCDAL MD Lakshmanan S said, “With the second bridge connecting Amingaon with Guwahati directly, with lots of tourists turning up in the coming days, with our own people seeking new ways of entertainment and engagement, and also the possibility of showcasing our resources to the world, the biggest advantage what will happen is that as we have small and big institutions here, we would be modernizing most of them. We would be having a world-class point of attraction along the Brahmaputra River.”
“At the same time, the riverside protection work along with maintaining our cultural and other handicrafts, handlooms and so on will be done. We will also try to have provisions of exhibition as well as sale of such items,” he added.
Every year, as the monsoon season arrives, the water level of the mighty Brahmaputra River rises leading to floods affecting most of the districts in the state. At times, the water level had reached Fancy Bazar road.
Stressing on this issue, the MD said, “It will be a platform at the level of the current road so that the highest flood level in Brahmaputra will be below the platform. So, we wouldn’t be affected by the flood levels.”
The flood situation and rise in water level of the mighty river also raises concern of soil erosion. It is already being witnessed in Majuli, Dibrugarh and other places.
Speaking on this, the MD said, “At this point of time when we are coming up with platform, it will stand upon pillars and throughout the distance of 1,200 m erosion protection works are also part of the scheme. So, layering of strong and providing erosion protection will be done throughout the length of the platform even after the project.”
The projects and components that the project will include are- construction of 15m Wide Boulevard, retaining walls, connecting ramps to connect boulevard, redevelopment of Uzan bazaar fish market, construction of seven entry gates with guard room at five locations including emergency entry exit.
The project will also include area lighting of entire premises of 1.2 km stretch of river front.
The riverfront beautification also has the scope for employment generation in the city. The stretch of 1.2 km is expected to become a major hub for Guwahati in the coming days for entertainment.
The other developmental projects that the city will be witnessing under Guwahati Smart City, as revealed by the MD, are:
Integrated Traffic Management System (ITMS) project (which will be completed by March 2023. The second phase of the project will be completed by the end December this year. The first phase of ITMS was completed in August.)
Guwahati Smart City has also started the process of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) in order to reduce pollution within the city. MD said that a set of 100 buses would be activated within the city next year.
Process of procuring electric vehicles are going on in connection with Assam State Transport Corporation.
With this, there is a hope that employment opportunities will be generated helping the unemployed youths seeking for jobs.
