GUWAHATI: Amid growing outrage over the felling of trees for a new flyover project in Guwahati, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday said that the state has altered the building plan so that no trees should be cut.
Speaking with the media persons, Sarma told the media persons: "I have given my word that I will not cut the trees."
The chief minister admitted that the project brought a mixed reaction with citizens demanding to save the tree and others seeking the flyover's completion as close to election dates as possible.
He said, "There are two sections of people: those who want to protect trees and those who don't want this flyover completed before the elections."
Perhaps some are using the environmental debate to fight developmental activities in this region, Sarma observed. The revised project plan considers both the need for development and environmental concerns, so there is proof of how the government is responsive to public sentiment, he added.
The Assam government's stance is the fulfillment of an effort to balance the infrastructure development objectives of the region against an environmental preservation commitment by way of finding a compromise toward progress and sustainability.
Meanwhile, the Gauhati High Court has directed the Assam government to file a detailed affidavit regarding its plan to fall several old trees around the historic water body Dighalipukhuri for the proposed flyover.
The court issued this directive following a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by journalist Mahesh Deka, activist Jayanta Gogoi, and journalist Chandan Borgohain regarding environmental and heritage issues related to the tree felling.
According to reports, a division bench headed by Chief Justice Vijay Bishnoi and Justice N Unni Krishnan Nair took up the case and impressed upon the significance of the case. The Assam Chief Secretary was directed to file the affidavit by 11 November 2024.
The petitioners, appearing through senior advocate Vikram Rajkhowa, also sought an urgent order to stop the felling of at least 27 trees crucial to the local ecosystem and cultural heritage.
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