Citizens oppose flyover extension threatening Dighalipukhuri’s heritage, ecology

Guwahati, October 23: A section of concerned citizens in Guwahati has voiced strong opposition to the Assam government’s decision to extend the under-construction Maharaj Prithu flyover up to the Kamrup District Library, warning that the move would inflict irreversible damage on the historic Dighalipukhuri area and its environment.

The citizens’ group stated that the proposed extension would destroy the heritage value and biodiversity of the region. They have lodged objections with both the Public Works Department (PWD) and the state government, urging that the project be immediately withdrawn to protect Dighalipukhuri’s ecological and cultural significance.

Earlier, in an affidavit submitted to the Gauhati High Court, the PWD had assured that the flyover would end near Rabindra Bhawan and that no trees or greenery around Dighalipukhuri would be affected. However, the group alleged that the government is now going back on this commitment by proceeding with plans to extend the structure up to the District Library.

Members of the delegation recently met the PWD Chief Engineer, who reportedly claimed that only minor modifications had been made to the original design. Despite this, several trees along Dighalipukhuri’s divider have already been uprooted, and there are plans to trim branches of trees near the State Museum. The citizens warned that the extension could require the felling of more than ten additional trees—many of them decades or even centuries old—posing a severe threat to the local ecology and bird habitats.

A spokesperson for the group said the decision not only harms the environment but also violates the assurance given before the High Court. “Extending the flyover to the District Library will breach the government’s own commitment and undermine the heritage of Dighalipukhuri,” the spokesperson said.

The group further highlighted that the expansion could encroach upon the Dighalipukhuri area, obstruct the view of the Dr. Bhupen Hazarika statue, and alter the visual and cultural character of the site. The main entrance to Dighalipukhuri, they noted, would also be adversely affected. Reports suggest that work on the extension has already begun.

The citizens also expressed deep disappointment that construction for the extension commenced barely six days after the passing of artist Zubeen Garg, who had been a vocal critic of the project and had actively participated in protests against tree felling in the Dighalipukhuri–Ambari area. They described the move as a “grave insult” to his memory.

The concerned citizens have called for the immediate withdrawal of the flyover extension plan to safeguard Dighalipukhuri’s environment, heritage, and ecological integrity.