Assam: Dighalipukhuri trees to survive as govt revises flyover plan

Guwahati: Following the widespread protest against the plan to cut down century-old trees at Dighalipukhuri in Guwahati, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has announced a revised plan for the proposed flyover.

The CM claimed that the new plan aims to preserve the historic Dighalipukhuri and its surrounding trees.

The flyover, which was originally planned to extend to the Reserve Bank, will now terminate near Rabindra Bhawan.

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This modification will significantly reduce the number of trees that need to be cut down, the new plan suggests.

Additionally, the entry point to the flyover has been shifted from Handique College to Lamb Road.

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The Chief Minister also clarified that the government has no intention of relocating the statue of Lakshminath Bezbarua at Guwahati Club.

He dismissed criticisms from opposition leaders, stating that their concerns were aimed at hindering development.

 The Gauhati High Court on Tuesday issued a notice to the Assam government, directing it to file an affidavit on its decision to cut down several centuries-old trees along the banks of the historic Dighalipukhuri in Guwahati for a proposed flyover construction.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice Vijay Bishnoi and Justice N Unni Krishnan Nair, while hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Northeast Now Executive Editor Mahesh Deka, journalist Chandan Borgohain, and activist Jayanta Gogoi, asked the Assam Chief Secretary to submit an affidavit by November 11, 2024.

The petitioners, represented by senior advocate Vikram Rajkhowa, sought a stay on the government’s decision to axe the trees at Dighalipukhuri.

Senior Advocate Kamal Nayan Chowdhury advanced arguments on behalf of the petitioners.

After hearing the petitioners’ Counsel KN Chowdhury, Chief Justice Vijay Bishnoi said, “Looking at the issue raised in the PIL petition, which is of great importance, we deem it appropriate to issue notice to the respondents. Issue notice learned advocate general on behalf of the respondents no 1 to 4”.

However, Assam government’s Advocate General Devajit Saikia opposed the issue of notice and said, “The issue has already died down and if a notice is issued a different kind of things will come out in the media. …The trees were only marked, and there are a lot of activities that have to be considered thereafter. When the trees were identified, it was not for cutting, let me clarify…”

To this Chief Justice Bishnoi said, “You clarify all these in an affidavit, and we will consider them.”

“For the time being we will issue notices to respondents no 1 to 4, and you will file a collective affidavit,” Chief Justice Bishnoi told Advocate General Saikia.

The court will hear the matter again on November 13, 2024.

Notably, Guwahati’s students, artists, and concerned citizens have been protesting against the government’s plan to axe at least 27 trees at Dighalipukhuri for the Noonmati-RBI Point flyover project.