'No trees cut at Dighalipukhuri,' says PWD as circulating videos spark fresh protests
Journalist Mahesh Deka & others arrested while trying to paste posters with Zubeen Garg’s anti-deforestation slogan
A file image of the barren roadside near Rabindra Bhawan in Dighalipukhuri (Photo: AT)
Guwahati, Sept 27: The Public Works Department (PWD) on September 26 denied reports that trees were cut or trimmed in the Dighalipukhuri area in recent days.
A team of senior officials inspected the site and interacted with locals following allegations of tree trimming. "No tree has been cut or trimmed in the last few days. The pictures and videos being circulated are old," an official said.
Earlier in the day, activists and some residents had gathered at the spot after locals claimed they saw workers cleaning the area following tree trimming, which led to a confrontation with police. Journalist Mahesh Deka and a few others were detained.
"We wanted to paste a poster with Zubeen da's quote at Dighalipukhuri. The poster carried his message opposing tree felling" Deka, who was taken to Latasil Police Station, said.
The government had earlier realigned the under-construction GNB Road flyover to ensure that the old trees around Dighalipukhuripar were not affected. Under the revised plan, one arm of the flyover will start from the Lamb Road point on GNB Road and the other from near the Rabindra Bhawan point.
PWD had earlier translocated around 77 trees affected by the project. These were replanted along the Brahmaрutra bank and on the Assam Textile Institute premises.
The controversy over tree cutting in Ambari and Dighalipukhuri has remained a flashpoint for months. Earlier this year, citizens had strongly opposed the felling of old trees for the GNB Road flyover project, accusing the government of going back on its assurances. Despite the PWD’s claim of protecting greenery by altering the design, activists alleged that authorities had been insensitive to Guwahati’s ecological heritage.
A petition regarding the survival of these trees is also under judicial scrutiny, with the Gauhati High Court monitoring the matter.
With the memory of cultural icon Zubeen Garg—who often spoke against deforestation—still fresh, the protests have taken on an emotional edge. Many residents feel the Dighalipukhuri trees have become symbolic of the city’s identity and must be preserved at all costs.
By Staff Reporter