Residents of Sonapur village in the suburbs of Guwahati live in fear of eviction from their ancestral homes as 15 bighas of land is set to be acquired for the Rs 5279-crore Guwahati Ring Road project.
They have submitted written appeals to the Sonapur Circle Officer, Kamrup Metropolitan DC, NHAI project director, the Chief Minister, the local MLA and several other union ministers. The residents have also promised to escalate protests if they have to leave their land because of the project.
Approved by the Union Cabinet in 2024, the Guwahati Ring Road project features a 56-kilometre four-lane Northern Guwahati Bypass, a widened 8-kilometre stretch of NH27, and a 58-kilometre bypass upgrade. The project also proposes a green field road between Sonapur and Chandrapur, which is in the tribal belt area.
The Guwahati Ring Road is expected to provide seamless connectivity for long-distance traffic on NH27, a key route in the East-West Corridor and to alleviate congestion on major highways around Guwahati, thereby improving access to important cities and towns such as Siliguri, Silchar, Shillong, Jorhat, Tezpur, Jogigopha, and Barpeta.
However, concerns have also been raised over environmental damage as the highway will pass through 800 metres of the Amchang Wildlife Sanctuary. Reports suggest that the project proposes to cut down over 3,200 trees including some within the sanctuary.
The NHAI plans to acquire a total of 51.72 hectares of land, including 7.12 hectares of forest land and a worrying 44.60 hectares falling within the eco-sensitive zone of the sanctuary. Conservationists fear this could sever elephant corridors, disrupt habitats, and deepen human-wildlife conflicts in an already strained region.
To soften this blow and to restore the elephant corridors connecting Amchang Sanctuary with Marakdola Reserve forest, Aprikola Reserve forest and beyond, the government has initiated an animal passage plan that includes two underpasses (each over 200 metres wide), a 450-metre bridge elevated 8 metres, nine box culverts, and a 4-kilometre raised road from Jorabat to Sonapur.
The National Wildlife Board has directed to conduct a detailed study by the Wildlife Institute of India to assess impacts on elephant movement, alongside minimal tree cutting and a robust wildlife conservation plan. But many remain skeptical over the quality of its implementation.
As of May 2024, approval from the Standing Committee on Wildlife Board was still pending. However, in February 2025, the project was bid out to Dinesh Chandra R Agrawal Infracon for a quoted grant of “Rs 0 (Rupees Zero)” on BOT mode, meaning the entire cost of construction would be borne by the firm.
An NHAI official told the Times of India that nearly 98% land available and all clearances in place, the project is expected to be completed in the stipulated four years.
Demand/Contention of the Affected Community
Opposition against environmental degradation
Demand to retain/protect access to common land/resources
Refusal to give up land for the project
Other Demand/Contention of the Affected Community
To mitigate human-animal conflicts
Region Classification
Rural
Type of Land
Common and Private
Forest and Non-Forest
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?
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
2029
Whether the Project has been Delayed
Significance of Land to Land Owners/Users
Other Natural Resource extraction/dependence, Other environmental services, Residential area
Whether the project was stalled due to land conflict
Source/Reference
Total investment involved (in Crores):
₹
5279
Type of investment:
Cost of Project
Year of Estimation
2029
Has the Conflict Ended?
No
When did it end?
Why did the conflict end?
Categories of Legislations Involved in the Conflict
Legislations/Policies Involved
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Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Whether claims/objections were made as per procedure in the relevant statute
No
What was the claim(s)/objection(s) raised by the community?
What was the Decision of the Concerned Government Department?
Legal Processes and Loopholes Enabling the Conflict:
Violation of environmental laws
Controversial land acquisition by the government
Legal Status:
Out of Court
Status of Case In Court
Whether any adjudicatory body was approached
Name of the adjudicatory body
Name(s) of the Court(s)
Case Number
Main Reasoning/Decision of court
Major Human Rights Violations Related to the Conflict:
Whether criminal law was used against protestors:
Reported Details of the Violation:
Date of Violation
Location of Violation
Government Departments Involved in the Conflict:
National Highway Authority of India (NHAI), Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, National Wildlife Board, Assam Forest Department, Ministry of Roads, Transport and Highways
PSUs Involved in the Conflict:
Did LCW Approach Government Authorities for Comments?
Name, Designation and Comment of the Government Authorities Approached
Corporate Parties Involved in the Conflict:
Dineshchandra R Agrawal Infracon Pvt Ltd (DRA Infracon)
Did LCW Approach Corporate Parties for Comments?
Communities/Local Organisations in the Conflict:
All Tiwa Students' Union; Other tribal organizations
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?
