Protests force Assam govt to abandon plan of cutting heritage trees for flyover in Guwahati

Guwahati: Strong protests on the streets as well as on digital platforms since Wednesday forced Assam government to abandon its plan to cut at least 25 "heritage trees" in Guwahati for construction of a flyover.

As students, senior citizens, cultural personalities took to the streets for the second day on Wednesday, Assam Chief Secretary Ravi Kota held a meeting with officials of Public Works Department (PWD) to revise its plan to ensure that the proposed flyover ends before reaching the Dighalipukhuri, a historic pond, where the trees were identified for felling. The protest started on Tuesday morning after the PWD officials marked the trees with yellow crosses for construction of the 6km long flyover between RBI Point and Bamunimaidam in the city.

The senior citizens, who took to the streets, said that the trees were more than 100 years old and had been providing shelters to hundreds of birds. "How can the state government go ahead with its plan to cut the heritage trees without taking consent of the residents? These trees have become a part of the identity of Guwahati and we can't allow the government to cut these trees," senior citizen Ajoy Dutta, who is also part of Save Guwahati Build Guwahati, an NGO, told reporters on Tuesday.

From singer Zubeen Garg to Angarag Papon Mahanta to leaders of political parties, including a few belonging to the ruling BJP, voiced their concern over the move and urged Himanta Biswa Sarma government to give up the plan. The students even put up tents near the trees to keep vigil during night in order to prevent them from being cut by the PWD.

As the protest grew, CM Sarma posted on X saying that an alternative proposal for the highway is being assessed in order to avoid the plan of cutting the trees. But protesters on Wednesday said they would continue to protest till the CM made a written promise to protect the trees.

"We don't trust this CM as his government has cut hundreds of trees in the name of expansion of roads, construction of highways and public parks in and around Guwahati since he came to power in 2021. We are not against development and construction of infrastructure but the government must give priority to our ecology and maintain a balance," said Shristi Phukan, a student of historic Cotton University.