GMC presents 2025 report card, lays out Rs 132-crore development plan

Guwahati, Dec 31: The Guwahati Municipal Corporation, on Wednesday, presented a detailed account of the work carried out in 2025 even as it layed out an ambitious roadmap for the city’s development in the coming year.

Addressing a press conference at the GMC office in Uzanbazar, Guwahati Mayor Mrigen Sarania declared that Guwahati has emerged as the cleanest capital city in the Northeast, reflecting sustained efforts in waste management, sanitation, and civic infrastructure.

Highlighting a major milestone, Sarania said 2025 marked the first time that Guwahati implemented structured waste management at scale.

“At the Boragaon dumpsite alone, around 4.08 lakh tonnes of garbage were scientifically managed. Earlier, nearly 12 lakh tonnes of accumulated waste had turned into two to three massive garbage hills, which we have now completely removed,” he said.

The city currently generates about 700 tonnes of waste daily, and plans are underway to further enhance processing capacity.

Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs) have already been constructed at Adabari, while a new MRF has been approved for Fancy Bazar, he added.

An additional MRF setup is planned at the Adabari transfer station to handle dry waste such as plastic and paper more efficiently.

“By mid-2026, facilities at Purabi Dairy and Adabari will be fully operational, enabling Guwahati to handle waste in a far more sustainable manner,” the Mayor added.

Sanitation & street lighting

On the sanitation front, Sarania noted that Guwahati made significant gains in national cleanliness rankings.

“In the Swachhta competition, Guwahati improved from 402nd position to 46th. We also earned the titles of ‘promising city’ and ‘cleanest capital city in Northeast’. In the Swachhta Vayu Sarvekshan, we moved up from 26th rank in 2024 to 21st in 2025,” he said, thanking citizens for their cooperation.

Infrastructure development remained a key focus area. The Mayor said the civic body operated with a budget of Rs 1,800 crore in 2025.

“More than Rs 8 crore was spent on beautifying footpaths near the upcoming DC office area in Rupnagar, while projects worth Rs 15 crore each are underway at Ganeshguri and VIP Road. Paltan Bazar has also seen footpath beautification works worth Rs 15 crore,” he said.

Street lighting saw a major upgrade, with around 3,200 new street lights installed during the year and nearly 80–90 per cent of wards now fully covered.

In total, 34,250 street lights have been installed at a cost of about Rs 80 crore through Guwahati Utility Company Limited. “Better lighting directly improves safety and quality of life, and this has been one of our top priorities,” Saraniya said.

Water supply

On water supply, the Mayor said GMC has arranged 6,017 free water connections and provided 1,056 subsidised connections so far. “We are working to extend free water connections to namghars, temples and other community institutions. Areas where pipelines are already laid will receive new connections by 2026,” he said.

Looking ahead, Sarania announced that from January 2026, the corporation plans to undertake development works worth Rs 132 crore within six to eight months.

This includes road construction, lighting and water supply. Ward councillors will receive Rs 40 lakh each for road construction, amounting to Rs 26 crore, while Rs 10 lakh per ward has been earmarked for street lighting.

Additional allocations include Rs 12 crore for toilets in temples, namghars, clubs and community centres, Rs 12 crore for community halls, and around Rs 2 crore for cremation ground development.

Flood mitigation & revenue

Flood mitigation also featured prominently in the plans. Sarania said around 549–550 drains across Guwahati will be cleaned, with work expected to begin by February–March. Plans are also in place to regulate five rivers to help control artificial flooding.

“People who wish to adopt rainwater harvesting can approach GMC, and economically weaker sections will be assisted. Community centres and individuals adopting better waste disposal practices will be eligible for holding tax rebates,” he said.

On revenue, the Mayor said GMC has already collected over Rs 70 crore in taxes in 2025, meeting its annual target. A special drive for occupancy and regulation certificates collected Rs 4 crore in a single month, prompting the corporation to extend the drive until January 31.

Sixty new municipal police personnel have also been recruited to strengthen collection and enforcement mechanisms.

Concluding, Sarania appealed to residents to actively participate in civic initiatives. “What we achieved in 2025 was possible because of public cooperation. We invite suggestions from the people of Guwahati so that we can do even better in the coming year,” he said.