Assam
,
Guwahati
,
Kamrup Metropolitan
Published :
Feb 2024
|
Updated :
Guwahati residents oppose construction of Assam's longest flyover connecting Dighalipukhuri with Noonmati
Reported by
Sarup Sinha
Legal Review by
Anmol Gupta
Edited by
Anupa Kujur
Households affected
People affected
2023
Year started
Land area affected
Households affected
People Affected
2023
Year started
Land area affected
Key Insights
Sector
Infrastructure
Reason/Cause of conflict
Roads
Conflict Status
Ongoing
Ended
Legal Status
Region Classification
Urban
Ended
Sector
Infrastructure
Reason/Cause of conflict
Roads
Conflict Status
Ongoing
Ended
Legal Status
Region Classification
Urban
Ended
1
Summary

Residents of Guwahati opposed the construction of Assam's longest flyover - a 5.44 km-long four-lane elevated corridor connecting Dighalipukhuri with Noonmati.

The Public Works Department commenced the construction after Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma laid the foundation stone for the ambitious project on 1 January, 2024. The controversial project, estimated at Rs 853 crore, is slated to become the longest flyover in the Northeast upon completion in 2026.

Despite being promoted as a landmark addition to Assam's road network, the construction has stirred controversy between the PWD officials and local residents, who allege that neither the PWD nor the state authorities held any public hearing to discuss the pros and cons of the project.

Sanjib Kalita, president of the Silpukhuri Traders’ Union, expressed concerns about the potential impact on traffic congestion and local businesses. "Before proceeding with such a massive construction, there should have been alternate arrangements for traffic flow. The road is very narrow. The traffic condition will be pathetic if any alternative route for traffic is not arranged,” said Kalita.

Guwahati resident, Suprakash Talukdar, stated, “The PWD solely is the decision taker for such a drastic change. We don't think that for swift vehicular movement, this flyover is necessary that too from the mentioned areas. This flyover will rather intensify flash floods in our locality. The authority should've devised a substitute plan."

Former Mayor of Guwahati Municipal Corporation Kushal Sarma also flagged the potential economic losses because of the demolition of shops and commercial establishments along the flyover's path.

Local residents, represented by Sarma and others, held a press meeting on 30 December, 2023, to shed light on various issues related to the construction. The citizens reportedly filed an Right to Information (RTI), but according to them, the responses were unsatisfactory.

"We, the concerned citizens, are strongly against the decision of the respective department. Without any public hearing and proper evaluation, how can they decide to lay the foundation stone on the mentioned date? This project will affect the lives of several residents and businesses," said Kushal Kumar Sarma during the press meeting.

Apart from the lack of public involvement, other allegations include undisclosed details related to land acquisition, revenue, environmental impact assessment study and transparency of the map.

2
Fact Sheet

Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Demand to cancel the project

Opposition against environmental degradation

Complaint against procedural violations

Other Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Region Classification

Urban

Type of Land

Common and Private

Non-Forest (Other than Grazing Land)

What was the action taken by the police?

How many people did the police detain or arrest?

What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?

Did the person face any violence while in police custody?

If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?

If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?

Legislation under which the accused was charged

Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?

In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?

Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?

Were there any other notable irregularities that took place, or other significant details?

Details of sources (names of accused, names and numbers of any lawyers, names of any police officers contacted)

Status of Project

Project underway despite protests

Original Project Deadline

2026

Whether the Project has been Delayed

Significance of Land to Land Owners/Users

Commercial, Residential area

Whether the project was stalled due to land conflict

Source/Reference

Total investment involved (in Crores):

853

Type of investment:

Cost of Project

Year of Estimation

2023

Page Number In Investment Document:

Has the Conflict Ended?

No

When did it end?

Why did the conflict end?

4
Additional Information

Government Departments Involved in the Conflict:

Public Works (Road) Department, Government of Assam

PSUs Involved in the Conflict:

Did LCW Approach Government Authorities for Comments?

No

Name, Designation and Comment of the Government Authorities Approached

Corporate Parties Involved in the Conflict:

Shree Gautam Construction Co Ltd, Anupam Nirman Pvt Ltd

Did LCW Approach Corporate Parties for Comments?

Communities/Local Organisations in the Conflict:

5
Information on the use of criminal law

What was the action taken by the police?

How many people did the police detain or arrest?

What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?

Did the person face any violence while in police custody?

If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?

If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?

Legislation under which the accused was charged

Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?

In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?

Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?

Were there any other notable irregularities that took place, or other significant details?

Legal Supporting Documents

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Author
Reported by
Sarup Sinha

Sarup is a researcher and doctoral student in Political Science at the North-Eastern Hill University, Shillong. His research interests lie in the area of ethnic and land conflicts, political ecology and development and urban spaces of Northeast India. He has a Masters’ degree in Development Studies from the Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati. He has previously done research/internships with NABARD, Oxford Microfinance Initiative (renamed Oxford Development Consultancy) and CSDS (Lokniti Programme).

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Fact sheet

Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Demand to cancel the project

Opposition against environmental degradation

Complaint against procedural violations

If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?

Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?

In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?

Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?

Were there any other notable irregularities that took place, or other significant details?

Status of Project

Project underway despite protests

Original Project Deadline

2026

Whether the Project has been Delayed

Significance of Land to Land Owners/Users

Commercial, Residential area

Whether the project was stalled due to land conflict

Source/Reference

JOIN
THE LCW COMMUNITY
Exclusive monthly policy briefs, stories from the ground, Quarterly Analytics report, Curated Expert talks, merchandise and much more.


Support our work.
Sign Up Today
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