Guwahati: The Gauhati High Court has agreed to hear a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) on Tuesday challenging the Assam government’s decision to cut down several centuries-old trees along the banks of the historic Dighalipukhuri in Guwahati for the construction of a flyover.
The development comes amid continuous protests since October 29 by students, artists, and concerned citizens of Guwahati against the government’s plan to axe at least 27 trees at Dighalipukhuri for the Noonmati-RBI Point flyover project.
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A high court bench led by Chief Justice Vijay Bishnoi and Justice N Unni Krishnan Nair acknowledged the significance of the issue and scheduled it for a hearing on Tuesday.
The PIL, filed by journalists Mahesh Deka and Chandan Borgohain, and activist Jayanta Gogoi, represented by senior advocate Vikram Rajkhowa, seeks a stay on the government’s decision.
The petitioners urge the Gauhati High Court to appoint an expert panel to redesign the flyover to avoid damaging the historic Dighalipukhuri and its trees.
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The PIL argues that felling the trees would not only be an ecological disaster but would also erase a significant part of the city’s history.
The petitioners contend that the destruction of these trees would severely impact the historic Dighalipukhuri tank.