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Time of India
a day ago
- Politics
- Time of India
City residents protest translocation of trees
Guwahati: Civil society activists and concerned citizens on Sunday gathered to voice their objection against the govt's recent translocation of trees from the Ambari area, undertaken for an upcoming flyover project valued at over Rs 800 crore and spanning from Noonmati to Ambari. Residents claim the govt has not only disregarded public sentiment and environmental responsibility, but has also gone back on their earlier commitments made to the Gauhati high court in affidavits. Noted littérateur Hiren Gohain, present at the protest, criticised the govt, questioning both the unscientific methods employed and the overall rationale and feasibility of the flyover project. Prominent scientist and writer Dinesh Chandra Goswami said, "Tree translocation must be carried out with utmost care, but in this case, the govt has displayed a reckless disregard for both the trees and its citizens. The conditions in which the trees are kept in is truly saddening, and this reduces their chance of survivability." Social scientist Apurba Kumar Baruah and historian Manorama Sharma cited studies from Dehradun's Forest Research Institute (FRI), indicating that tree translocation in India has a low survival rate of approximately 10%. Figures from Global Forest Watch, an online platform, show that Assam lost over 18,000 hectares of natural forest last year, significantly above the national average.
The Hindu
a day ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Assam Government slammed as trees slashed to make space for flyover in Guwahati
Civil society activists on Sunday (June 8, 2025) slammed the Assam Government for slashing numerous trees, some more than a century old, in Guwahati to make space for a flyover. They said the felling and purported translocation of these trees deviated from the government's commitment to the Gauhati High Court six months ago to realign the flyover so that not a single tree is affected. The 'save the trees' activists included scholar Hiren Gohain, scientist Dinesh Chandra Goswami, social scientist Apurba K. Baruah, historian Manorama Sharma, and lawyer Shantanu Borthakur. Also read: Assam CM assures Guwahati flyover without felling old trees after protests in 2024 They condemned the government's decision to slash the heritage trees along the Ambari to Dighalipukhuri stretch of the GNB Road for Guwahati's longest flyover under construction. 'This move represents a blatant disregard for public sentiment, environmental responsibility, and a shocking reversal of earlier commitments made to the Gauhati High Court in affidavits,' they said in a statement. The activists recalled the government's previous announcement, made after widespread public protest and a court case, that the design of the GNB Road flyover would be tweaked to avoid impacting any trees. 'After about six months, the government has taken a complete U-turn despite continued protests and affidavits in court. Authorities are virtually committing murder of nearly 100 old trees,' they said. They called upon the government to immediately halt all further tree felling and translocation activities, uphold its earlier commitment to the High Court, and prioritise sustainable urban development that respects the city's natural heritage. In response to a public interest litigation (PIL) petition, the State government told the High Court in November 2024 that it would avoid mowing down the trees. The government's affidavit, however, did not mention tree translocation or trimming. 'Breach of trust' 'Now, the government has cut down bunches of several trees and informed the court that a total of 77 trees will be translocated from Ambari and Dighalipukhuri. This contradicts the earlier declaration, amounting to defying the court and is a severe breach of public trust,' the activists said. Also read: BJP govt in Assam concerned for power, money, land, syndicate: Gaurav Gogoi They said the trimming was being undertaken at night to escape the public eye. 'When students and other concerned citizens protested against such clandestine operations early Saturday (June 7, 2025) night, they were met with undue force, detained by police, misbehaved with, and held overnight at police stations. This heavy-handed approach stifles democratic dissent and further erodes public confidence,' the activists said. They cited a report by the Dehradun-based Forest Research Institute on tree translocation in India. The report indicated that the survival rate of translocated trees in India is less than 10%. 'States like Gujarat and Maharashtra report relatively high short-term success, but others, such as Delhi and Punjab, have survival rates as low as 2%. The survival rate in a State like Jharkhand is 1.7%. In Assam, there has been no research or study conducted on the trees of this region. Larger or over-mature trees tend to fail more often, and without adequate aftercare, even initially healthy transplants suffer,' the activists said. 'High-cost method' The activists pointed out that translocation remains a high-cost, high-risk method with limited reliability unless implemented with strict species selection, proper technique, and sustained maintenance. Stringent procedures and scientific protocols are necessary for successful tree translocation, as outlined in expert reports. The Assam government has not diligently followed expert guidelines. The government's claims of 'translocation' appear to be a mere smokescreen to justify the felling of these invaluable trees in Guwahati. A report from Global Forest Watch highlights the escalating rates of forest loss in India between 2001 and 2023. Assam exceeds the national average of 66,600 hectares. In 2023-2024 alone, Assam lost about 16,900-18,900 hectares of natural forest, while the Kamrup Metropolitan district (Guwahati and outskirts) lost 104 hectares of natural forest in 2024, releasing approximately 33,800 tonnes of carbon dioxide. 'Guwahati grapples with environmental challenges, including poor air quality, and cannot afford to lose these trees, vital carbon sinks and ecological assets,' the activists said.
Time of India
24-04-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
City orgs protest over J&K tragedy, slam Centre over ‘lapse in security'
Guwahati: Civil society organisations in Guwahati gathered on Thursday to protest against the Pahalgam attack , terming it as a 'massacre', besides criticising the govt for their alleged intelligence failure and security lapse . Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The protest meet was organised by four civic bodies: the Coordination Committee Against Citizenship Amendment Act, Assam Civil Society, Axom Nagarik Samaj and Sustha Samaj Bikash Chakra. Activist Paresh Malakar led the meeting, which began after an observance of two-minute silence in honour of the victims. The demonstration, which took place near Dighalipukhuri, saw participation from prominent citizens, including renowned intellectual Hiren Gohain, who characterised the situation as a crucial moment for the nation, while denouncing the terrorist act. He called for strict punishment of the culprits, while cautioning against targeting specific communities in the country on pretext of the attack. "This attack by religious fanatics is an act of cowardice amidst the daily struggle of the commoners. Now, we must be vigilant so that certain anti-social elements cannot target any particular community on pretext of the Pahalgam incident," Gohain said. He expressed bewilderment at the attack occurring in a region which has a substantial presence of defence personnel. Former NEHU political science professor, Apurba Kumar Baruah, initiated the meeting by denouncing the Pahalgam incident as a massacre and criticising the govt's alleged security failures. He urged the administration to ensure public safety and strengthen border security. Academic Indrani Dutta addressed growing religious divisions and security shortcomings in India, advocating solidarity with the Kashmiris. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Rajya Sabha MP Ajit Kumar Bhuyan also demanded a fair investigation into such incidents' root causes, while praising the resilience of the Kashmiri people. Senior advocate Hafiz Rashid Ahmed Choudhury emphasised that eliminating terrorists alone wouldn't resolve terrorism, stressing the need to address fundamental causes. He opposed religious mobilisation calls and advocated Hindu-Muslim unity against such plots. In Nagaon, senior AICC spokesperson, Charan Singh Sapra, said, "If Himanta Biswa Sarma wants to accuse Congress of Pakistan links, he must first answer for his own party's failures — including the intelligence lapses behind the Pahalgam attack." "If anyone has affection for Pakistan, it is BJP leaders. LK Advani once visited Jinnah's tomb in Pakistan and called him a secular man. When Narendra Modi became PM, he visited Nawaz Sharif's house. After the Pathankot attack, BJP govt rolled out the red carpet for Pakistan's ISI. During the Kandahar hijacking, then-minister Jaswant Singh escorted terrorists," he alleged.
