Development confronts hurdles in unplanned Guwahati: CM Himanta Biswa Sarma

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that development projects in Guwahati confront various hurdles as the city has grown without proper planning. "Now we are trying to make it a planned city," he said.

Dedicating the newly constructed flyover on the RG Baruah Road in Guwahati today, the Chief Minister said, "The total cost of the around two-kilometre flyover with a wing towards the Mother Teresa Road is Rs 316 crore. The construction of the flyover was completed 11 months before schedule".

The Chief Minister said, "Had the roads and drains been wider and planned at the initial stage of the development of Guwahati, the problems of traffic snarls and waterlogging would have been much less. In the past few years, the city has had around one lakh houses constructed in an unplanned way. Around 10,000 vehicles are sold in Guwahati every two months, and the existing roads in the city are not capable enough to take this additional load. Hence, we need to erect flyovers, though these are not the final solution".

On metro rails as an alternative to ease traffic snarls in the city, the Chief Minister said, "Metro rails are not feasible in Guwahati as the city does not have enough land for metro rail stations. To ease traffic congestion, we will have to construct a rotary each at Bhoothnath and Machkhowa. We seek clear-cut suggestions from the public to solve the problems afflicting Guwahati. The suggestions, however, should be concrete. For instance, when the government evicts vendors from footpaths, a section of the public accuses the government of 'harassing' vendors. Another section, on the other hand, continues to accuse the government of not clearing footpaths for pedestrians. To solve the problem of waterlogging, the government carries out eviction and faces the wrath of a section of the people."

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