Guwahati: Hundreds of Guwahati citizens formed a human chain on Saturday in Ambari to protest the ongoing tree translocation process for an flyover project.
The proposed flyover, estimated to cost over Rs 800 crore, will connect Noonmati to the Dighalipukhuri area. Protesters condemned the translocation as “unscientific” and a “breach of public trust.”
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Participants from all walks of life were seen holding placards emphasizing the critical need to protect the trees and highlighting the severe environmental consequences of their removal.
Some demonstrators sang songs by music maestro Bhupen Hazarika, adding a cultural dimension to the protest.
Tree felling and relocation efforts have become a significant concern for environmentally conscious residents in Guwahati. The government’s recent actions for the Noonmati-Ambari flyover project, particularly in the Ambari and Dighalipukhuri areas, have raised questions about its commitment to environmental preservation.
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The diverse participation of citizens, students, youth, artists, writers, and political party representatives underscores the immediate importance of the issue.
Chanting slogans such as “Focus on sustainable development, not environmentally destructive development,” and “Stop unscientific relocation of trees,” protesters voiced their strong opposition.
They also highlighted alleged clandestine tree-cutting activities along the banks of Dighalipukhuri.
The protesters put forth three key demands–halt the GNB flyover project at Guwahati Club Point to prevent further tree felling, abandon the plan for unscientific relocation of 77 trees in the Ambari-Dighalipukhuri area and stopping the removal of remaining trees within the Assam State Museum premises and initiate efforts to repair environmental damage in the Ambari-Dighalipukhuri area.
They further demanded that the government clarify the new flyover’s design and its exact termination point, urging transparent and responsible communication with the public.
The trees along Dighalipukhuri’s banks are over 150 years old and serve as a vital habitat for thousands of bird species.
Last year, student and institutional protests successfully compelled the government to reverse a decision to fell centuries-old trees near Sandikey College, close to Dighalipukhuri.
Following a Guwahati High Court hearing, the Assam government had also submitted an affidavit assuring that no trees would be cut or relocated. However, despite these assurances and strong public outcry, tree felling and relocation activities resumed in June 2025.
Protesters claimed that the government exploited the cover of night to cut down trees and arrested nine youths, including two women, on the night of June 14.
A major point of contention is the lack of reliable data on the survival rate of translocated trees in India, leading to skepticism about the government’s true intentions behind “translocation.”
Today’s human chain saw various student organizations, political party leaders, artists, writers, and citizens unite, transcending party ideologies for the greater good.
Prominent attendees included scientist Dinesh Chandra Goswami, Rajya Sabha MP Ajit Kumar Bhuyan, Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) president Lurin Jyoti Gogoi, writers Arupa Patangia Kalita, Niren Thakuria, and Debabrata Das, historian Manorama Sharma, educationists Indrani Dutta and Rajen Kalita and representatives of various political parties, journalists, senior citizens, and students.