How citizens' fight to protect trees in Assam's Guwahati made political noise

In Northeast India’s biggest metropolis Guwahati, citizens have been mostly silent spectators. Over the years, piles of garbage grew like hills, rains kept inundating roads and residential buildings and traffic flow was reduced to a crawl.

Except for a few complaints and sighs, citizens grappled with problems with stoicism. The government ensured all the troubles remained personal to the people and washed its hands of responsibilities.

But something changed all of a sudden. The otherwise well-to-do people seemingly happy in their cocooned life stood up to voice their anger. As if the Brahmaputra river flowing through the city roared.

After at least 25 old trees guarding the iconic Dighalipukhuri (a rectangular pond) for decades were marked with yellow crosses for axing by government authorities, citizens came out on the streets on October 29. The authorities wanted to chop off the trees —some as old as 200 years —to make way for a 5.05-kilometre flyover along the historic waterbody —one of the last few remaining green lungs in the city.

From silence to sound

The protesters mostly youths, environmentalists and citizens gathered near Dighalipukhuri with placards on their hands and songs of disdain on their lips against the authorities planning to cut the historic trees.

Before the protest, a message went viral on social media. It read: "The serene beauty of Dighalipukhuri is under threat due to the construction of a flyover. Preparations are underway to cut down 25 trees on both sides of Dighalipukhuri. These trees, now marked with yellow signs, serve as a vital sanctuary and source of sustenance for hundreds of birds. The impending loss of these trees has sparked widespread concern among environmentalists and residents.

"To voice their opposition to this ecological threat, a protest has been organised on October 29 at 11.30 am at the intersection of Mohammad Tayebullah Path and Surya Kumar Path, near the city bus stop, in Dighalipukhuri. All those who cherish the natural charm of Guwahati are invited to join this crucial stand against mass tree cutting."

The message was by concerned residents with the slogan: "Save Dighalipukhuri, Save Guwahati." The note struck a chord with people as they realised that the last of the city's relics was under attack.

Trees have become history?

Pramod Kalita, 38, an environmental activist, told The Federal that it was the first time residents of Guwahati came out on the road and demanded the authorities not to harm the environment further.

"It was heartening to witness citizens' unity to save the environment. Most of the city's green cover has been lost in the name of 'development'. When people saw the government was eyeing the last remaining trees around us, they stood up and voiced their anger. It was their 'enough is enough' moment and they decided to raise their dissatisfaction," added Kalita, who as a local of Deepor Beel (beel stands for a lake in Assamese) is fighting to save the freshwater lake 10 kilometres southwest of Guwahati.

The beel is the only wetland in Assam designated as a site of importance for “conservation and sustainable use” under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands in 2002. Despite the tag, the freshwater lake faces several ecological challenges as authorities are equally responsible for flouting environmental rules and regulations, allege locals.

A rare win for the voices of dissent

The October Dighalipukhuri protest yielded results. The protesters got support from all corners, including opposition political parties. After the protest broke out the trees of Dighalipukhuri stood strong as a symbol of resistance against Assam's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party government.

Political commentators say Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma feared the ire of the dissenters as they belong to educated and well-do families from Assam. “He does not want to jeopardise his prospects in the next assembly election scheduled around May 2026,” said a Jorhat-based political analyst who does not wish to be named.

Advocate Debajit Kumar Das, who specialises in environmental litigation, added the people's protest worked and the government decided to revoke its decision to cut trees. "It is important for people in a democracy to raise their voices to ensure the ruling regime listens to them."

The trees of Dighalipukhuri have been spared as the flyover project plans have been revised amid protests. The revised plan has been made considering the environmental concerns, with the authorities opting for a layout that protects the trees in the ecologically significant area.

“I want to assure you that the government is deeply committed to preserving our city’s heritage and environment while advancing infrastructure. In constructing the flyovers from Dighalupukhuri to Noonmati, we are sincerely working to protect the old trees in the area. I urge all stakeholders to allow the Public Works Department a few days to explore an alternative proposal and assess its feasibility," wrote Sarma on his official X handle.

"The government could have opted for a layout to protect the trees earlier. But it did not. It shows authorities care little about the environment at a time when we are witnessing the worst of climate change,” said Kalita.

A tour of Dighalipukhuri

Those who know Guwahati also know the significance of Dighalipukhuri. The rectangular elongated tank is centrally located. Within a few metres of the pond is the Gauhati High Court. A walk from the tank will lead to colleges, playgrounds and bookshops. There is a museum, a library, a cultural centre and a press club close to Dighalipukhuri. They are all iconic landmarks of the city. In recent times, the area has also become famous for street food.

From a distance, as one travels towards the waterbody, majestic trees greet them and so does the constant murmuring of flocks of birds that have found a home in the dense canopy. All these facets attract hundreds of people--joggers, walkers, students and couples--to come and rest for a while in the company of Dighalipukhuri and the natural surroundings it is blessed with.

Like Dighalipukhuri, a similar protest was staged by residents in the city's Bharalumukh locality. In Bharalumukh too the authorities proposed to axe over 70 trees for a flyover project. However, the protest fizzled out in Bharalumukh without any conclusion. The police detained three people from the Bharalumukh protests for reportedly using a contentious slogan on canvas against Chief Minister Sarma.

A retired academician from Assam observed that the recent protests in Guwahati adversely impacted the image of the ruling regime. "It is a good lesson for Chief Minister Sarma. All this while, he ruled over Assam with an iron fist. As a citizen, I want the government to consult, listen and honour the wishes of locals before taking up any developmental projects. Moreover, it is difficult to understand the government's obsession with flyovers," said the academician who did not want to be named.

A city's obsession with flyovers?

In a petition on change.org, a petitioner calling herself "concerned Guwahatian" wrote, "The ambitious Noonmati to Dighalipukhuri flyover, under construction currently, is aimed at easing traffic problems in Guwahati. But will it cause more problems than it will solve? And will it benefit only a select few – the car owners – while disrupting lives, livelihoods and even the health of many?

"Our concern is that the city planners seem to have become car-focused, and the increase in flyovers has led to the reduction of green spaces within the city and its periphery. Even if flyovers are constructed, the planning should be done with utmost care, ensuring the full preservation of green and natural spaces."

"This is a fervent appeal to government authorities, policymakers, city planners, and engineers to rethink this flyover. In many advanced, forward-thinking cities and countries, flyovers are no longer seen as a panacea for traffic problems; many studies on this vital aspect of urban planning look at flyovers as an ‘old-fashioned’ remedy. Modern city planners advocate the improvement of public transport as a solution for road traffic woes. When will our city planners embrace and act upon such proven solutions," the petition added.

Bondita Nath, who took part in the October protest, said the protesters did not raise their voices to do any politics. "We wanted to save the trees and our environment."

Advocate Das added, "The protest in Dighalipukhuri has brought forward the issue of socio-environmental concern of the common people living in an era of global warming and climate change."